The first leg of this Europa League semi-final will come as a welcome distraction to Arsenal and Valencia who are both struggling in the race for a Champions League spot in their respective domestic leagues.
This tactical preview will look at some of the potentially key tactical battles and areas where both managers will be looking to get the better of their opponent.
How they might line up
Arsenal
Arsenal have been dealt with the news that neither Denis Suárez nor Aaron Ramsey will be available for the rest of the season. They join Héctor Bellerín, Rob Holding and Danny Welbeck on the long-term injury list.
Left-back Nacho Monreal will face a late fitness test and Mesut Özil should return after missing Sundays defeat at Leicester with a bruised foot.
Unai Emery has favoured a 3-4-1-2 formation recently, and Valencia manager Marcelino has admitted that this is how he expects his compatriot to set out his side. Assuming Monreal is not risked, Arsenals line-up could look something like this, with Mesut Özil moving into the wide channels to support the attacking wing-backs:
As an alternative, Emery could opt for a 4-2-3-1 system. In fact, Emery may even change formation mid-game if things are not working out, like when he switched to the 4-2-3-1 at half-time in the defeat to Crystal Palace. If the Spaniard does opt for this system at any point, a defender would be sacrificed and Alex Iwobi would most likely feature on the left wing with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Henrikh Mkhitaryan appearing on the right flank.
![Arsenal Vs Crystal Palace [1–1] (8 vs 7 P) – EFL Cup 2025/2026: Failure Of Attacking Transitions – Tactical Analysis](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Arsenal-Vs-Crystal-Palace-tactical-analysis--350x250.png "Arsenal Vs Crystal Palace [1–1 (8-7)] – EFL Cup Quarter-Final 2025/2026 – Tactical Analysis 5")
