Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that his Napoli side could be in trouble when they face Arsenal on Thursday night.
The Italian side travel to the Emirates Stadium for the Europa League quarter final clash, with many expecting it to be one of the ties of the round.
However preparations haven’t been ideal for the former Chelsea manager’s side after being held to a 1-1 draw against Genoa on Saturday.
Dropping points was a blow for Ancelotti, but even more so when the visitors were reduced to 10 men after just 28 minutes at the San Paolo Stadium.
Speaking after the draw, Ancelotti said: “We’re defending badly at the moment, even when it was 11 against 10, and that means we cannot control the game.
“If you control the game, you don’t allow counter-attacks, you don’t let the opposition to turn and run at you.
“It’s an alarm bell, certainly, because if we play like this in London, then we’re in trouble.
“It is unusual to see Napoli doing that, so we have four days to focus back on the basics, because these are basics we’re getting wrong.”
It was hardly ideal preparation for the Gunners though after they were defeated by Everton.
Despite dominating possession, Unai Emery’s side struggled to create much in the way of goalscoring opportunities – with Arsenal notching up just seven chances through the 90 minutes.
The hope will be that a home clash against the Italian side will present an opportunity to take a strong advantage into the quarter final second leg, while also getting them back on track for a tricky away clash with FA Cup finalists Watford on Monday evening.
