Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze has picked out Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka as the toughest player he has come up against in the Europa League this season.
Ex-Gunners boss Unai Emery’s reunion with his former club was a positive one as Villarreal recorded a 2-1 victory on aggregate over two legs in the semi-finals to book a meeting with Manchester United in Wednesday’s showpiece in Gdansk.
In the first leg of the semi-final tie in Spain, Chukwueze went head-to-head with Xhaka, who was filling in at left-back for the injured Kieran Tierney.
Nigeria international Chukwueze skipped past both Xhaka and Dani Ceballos to set up Manu Trigueros’ opener as the La Liga side went on to record a 2-1 win in the first leg.
Chukwueze was stretchered off with an injury on the half-hour mark in the return leg at the Emirates, but Emery’s side held onto a 0-0 draw to send them through to the final.
Speaking to UEFA TV before their clash against United, several Villarreal players were asked to name the most difficult opponent they have faced in the competition so far, and 22-year-old Chukwueze named Xhaka.
‘It was [Granit] Xhaka,’ the winger said. ‘He was man-to-man marking. He didn’t give me space. ‘He was just very close to me and I couldn’t move an inch.’
Meanwhile Chukwueze will be optimistic of becoming the sixth Nigerian player to win the Europa League.
Former Super Eagles stars such as Nwankwo Kanu, Taribo West, Chidi Odiah, John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses remain the Nigerian quintet to have lifted Europe’s second-tier trophy at club level.
While Kanu, West and Odiah are fully retired from active football, Mikel and Moses are still very much actively involved in the game with both respectively playing for Stoke City in England and Spartak Moscow in Russia.