An interesting battle is on the cards as Arsenal and Valencia lock horns in the semi-final of the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League. Gunners' defender Shkodran Mustafi, who has been under fire of late, has the perfect opportunity to get back at his critics.
Arsenal's 10-game winning streak at home came to an end against Crystal Palace in the Premier League last weekend with a 2-3 defeat. Mustafi was at fault for two of the goals and has drawn the ire of pundits and supporters alike since.
Gooners were left unimpressed with the former Everton academy defender and have let their voices heard. Mustafi, unde rpressure to perform, now comes up against his former side where he spent two eventful seasons.
Tracing back his time in Spain, it was current Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo that had brought him to the Mestalla for a reported €8 million fee from Italian side Sampdoria after he won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
He was built up as the statement signing in the first transfer window post the sale of the club to a Singaporean consortium. Paired with Nicolas Otamendi at the heart of defence, Valencia managed to finish fourth in LaLiga.
During his first season in 2014-15, Mustafi played 33 league and three cup games. The most porous Valencia were in a single game with Mustafi in the team was a 4-4 draw with Rayo Vallecano in a Copa del Rey game.
The Otamendi-Mustafi partnership worked wonders as Los Che conceded only 32 goals the entire season, were third-best defensivey in the league, just behind Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid.
Reportedly, Barcelona even deliberated securing his services but the second season turned a bit sour for Mustafi at Valencia.
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Mustafi was handed the captaincy in cup games but he became erratic and picked up nineteen yellow cards and a red over the course of the entire season! Valencia crashed out of the Champions League and subsequently the Europa League as the managerial merry-go-round saw Santo fired and even Gary Neville trying a hand unsuccessfully for a short while.
Valencia at one point were battling relegation, but after having conceded 48 goals, managed a 12th-place finish. Despite that, Arsene Wenger brought him to the Emirates following long-term injuries to Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny in 2016.
Tagged as one of the most inconsistent Arsenal signings of recent times, Mustafi has the chance to win back the hearts of his fans by performing against his former employers.
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