LONDON: Arsenal conceded a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw at home to Czech champions Slavia Prague in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday, while Manchester United defeated Spanish club Granada 2-0.

Bruno Fernandes’ last-minute penalty put United in a commanding position to reach the semi-finals after Marcus Rashford had given the visitors the lead in Spain.

Arsenal paid the price for a lack of concentration after failing to defend Nicolas Pepe’s 86th-minute opener.

Goalkeeper Bernd Leno made a fine save to deny Lukas Provod in injury time, but couldn’t stop Tom Holes from grabbing Slavia’s equaliser from the resultant corner.

AS Roma also came from behind to win 2-1 at Ajax Amsterdam, and Villarreal won 1-0 at Dinamo Zagreb.

Arsenal had worked hard for Pepe’s opener. Brazilian winger Willian struck the post with a free kick early in the second half, and Alexandre Lacazette should have scored later when he only had the goalkeeper to beat. The French striker opted to lift the ball only to see it crash back off the crossbar.

The visitors missed chances of their own before Pepe finally broke the deadlock with a chip over the outrushing Ondej Kol in the Slavia goal, only for Holes to nod in at a corner and extend Slavia’s unbeaten run to 22 games, having already knocked out Leicester City and Rangers.

Arsenal’s poor league form under Mikel Arteta has left the Gunners with the Europa League as their only hope of silverware this year.

The final result leaves a difficult taste,” Arteta said. The game was under control. We got the goal we wanted but we missed some big chances as well.

We played two or three balls we shouldn’t do and we put ourselves on the back foot and conceded the corner. They put bodies in there and it can happen. It changes the feeling after the game.”

United emerged with commanding advantage despite a tough game in Andalusia.

Rashford scored with a cool finish past Granada goalkeeper Rui Silva in the 31st. The buildup was simple. United goalkeeper David de Gea passed to defender Victor Lindelof, who sprayed a long ball over the home side’s defence for Rashford to latch onto with a brilliant first touch before he fired past Silva. It was the England striker’s 20th goal of the season in all competitions.

Granada responded before the break with Yangel Herrera striking the post, Roberto Soldado going close and then Kenedy testing De Gea after a corner. The home side maintained their pressure after the interval, when again Kenedy forced De Gea into action.

Harry Maguire became the third United player to be ruled out of the second leg through suspension when he was booked for a foul on Soldado in the 72nd. Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay were booked earlier, as was Granada defender Domingos Duarte, who will also miss next week’s game.

Fernandes converted a late penalty after he was caught off the ball by Yan Eteki, with the Portuguese midfielder’s spot-kick squirming agonisingly through the hands of Rui Silva.

They [Rashford and Fernandes] have been exceptional, so important for us,” United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told BT Sport.

It was a very good run by Rashford, takes the ball fantastically. Bruno is so confident on penalties even though the keeper almost saved it.

It was not a perfect night,” he added. “We got three yellow cards and three suspensions. 2-0 is very good result. We know how difficult it is to come to Spain.”

Ajax, like Arsenal, were to rue a missed opportunity.

Davy Klaassen capitalised on hesitant defending to score the home teams opener in the 39th. The Dutch midfielder cut out Amadou Diawara’s weak back pass and exchanged passes with Duan Tadic before scoring as Roma defenders Roger Ibanez and Gianluca Mancini backed off.

Tadic should have made it 2-0 early in the second half, but Roma goalkeeper Pau Lopez saved his penalty.

Lorenzo Pellegrini then equalised with a free kick that young goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen fumbled over the line in the 57th, and Ibanez atoned for his lacklustre defensive display with the winner in the 87th. Ibanez took Klaassen’s attempted clearance from a corner on his chest before firing a volley in under the crossbar.

Unai Emery’s Villarreal got the better of Dinamo in Croatia, as Gerard Moreno’s penalty just before the interval secured victory.

Emery won the Europa League in three consecutive years with Sevilla and took Arsenal to the 2019 final.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2021