Arsenal defender Mari labels Villarreal ace Moreno 'best striker in Spain' | OneFootball

Arsenal defender Pablo Mari is excited to face Villarreal star Gerard Moreno, who he thinks is the 'best striker in Spain right now'.

Mari will be tasked with stopping Moreno - who has 26 goals in all competitions this season - and Paco Alcacer when Arsenal and Villarreal clash in the Europa League semi-final first-leg on Thursday.

"I think we are up against one of the best strike partnerships in Spain perhaps," Mari said. "I think they are both in great form at the moment so it will be tough.

"Gerard Moreno is doing fantastically, I think he's the best striker in Spain at the moment. Paco is doing great work too. They are different players, they both have their own attributes and we are going to be very alert to their movement and their playing style.

"But at the same time I think we have some great things going on for us too. I am expecting it to be a tough game, I am sure they will do everything they can to score goals so we need to be on guard."