Four Arsenal loanees learned their Europa Conference League quarter-final opponents on Friday, as we approach the tail end of the competition.
With any Arsenal loan participation in the Europa League coming to an end with Hector Bellerin and Real Betis’ elimination this week, all focus turns to the Europa Conference League.
The Gunners have four loanees still in the Europa Conference League, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles (AS Roma), William Saliba and Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille), and Reiss Nelson (Feyenoord) all making it to the quarter-final stage.
Friday’s draw kindly kept them all apart, as well as drawing none of them against the final English team remaining in the competition – Leicester City.
- FK Bodø/Glimt vs AS Roma
- Feyenoord vs Slavia Praha
- Marseille vs PAOK
- Leicester City vs PSV
The quarter-final first leg matches will take place on April 7th, with the return legs on April 14th. The team listed first above will play their home game first.
Should they all make it through to the semi-finals, Maitland-Niles and Roma would be taking on Leicester City or PSV, whilst Marseille could meet Feyenoord to see Saliba, Guendouzi, and Nelson reunited.
Saliba may not be facing off against a current Arsenal forward in the quarter-final, but he will be defending against a former Arsenal man.
Chuba Akpom is currently back with PAOK on loan from Middlesbrough, and he’s scored 10 goals for the side this season.
They’re second in the league, in the domestic cup semi-finals, and now have a European quarter-final coming up, so it’s going well, and Akpom will hope to give Saliba a test.