Arsenal could not find a way to reach the Champions League semi-finals this week, but some of their former players are thriving in the Europa League.
The quarter-final stage saw Marseille beat Benfica on penalties, with former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang playing a part with an assist for the Ligue 1 side, and he will now come up against another old teammate as they will face Atalanta.
The Italian side knocked out Arsenal’s title rivals Liverpool, having pulled off a shock 3-0 victory at Anfield last week, before progressing after a 1-0 defeat at home to secure a 3-1 aggregate win.
Arsenal flop Sead Kolasinac played his part as he returned for the second leg, and his performance was a strong one against a strong attack which included Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo.
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Sead Kolasinac impresses as Atalanta knock Liverpool out of Europa League
The left-back, who departed Arsenal in 2021, lined up on the left side of a back three for Atalanta, and put in an impressive display as Atalanta held their nerve.
The 30-year-old, who provides a lot of physicality for a left-back, was a rock at the back, and he was vital in stopping Liverpool from scoring from open play, with Salah’s goal coming from the penalty spot.
Kolasinac won 10 of his 12 attempted duels, and four of his five tackles, whilst also drawing two fouls.
Football.Italia described his display as “reasonable and experienced,” and highlighted how apart from a few moments, he did well to stop a player with the quality of Salah.
Why Sead Kolasinac did not work out at Arsenal
Kolasinac looked destined to become a fan favourite as soon as he arrived at Arsenal on a free transfer from FC Schalke.
He scored on his debut in the Community Shield against Chelsea, and also provided an assist on his Premier League debut, with fans impressed by his physicality going forward, and with Arsenal playing with a back three under Arsene Wenger at the time, he eventually became an attacking wing-back.
Kolasinac performed well at times under Unai Emery, but eventually his defensive limitations became apparent, and the arrival of Kieran Tierney and the emergence of Bukayo Saka, initially as a left-back, meant he fell down the pecking order.
The Bosnian made 118 appearances for Arsenal, scoring five and assisting 14 times, and he has since performed well for Marseille and Atalanta after leaving.
