Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a hat-trick to help fire Arsenal through to the Europa League final in Baku in a 4-2 win in Valencia and 7-3 victory on aggregate.
Arsenal held a comfortable 3-1 lead from the first leg and, despite a shaky start, looked deadly on the break as the picked off Valencia to make their first European final since 2006.
Aubameyang scored the first and third Arsenal goal either side of Lacazette's effort as the Gunners earned a 3-2 victory on the night, and 6-3 aggregate success to send Unai Emery back to another final as he looks for a fourth Europa League win.
Aubameyang and Lacazette were unplayable at times on the break, with Arsenal clinically dispatching their limited chances while withstanding a powerful start and consistent pressure from the Spanish hosts.
⚽️ Great finish from Kevin Gameiro & a superb Valencia move for the early opener to rock Arsenal...#VALARS #EuropaLeaguepic.twitter.com/wjNz6wpmlZ
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) May 9, 2019
The Gunners were rocked by an early Valencia goal from Kevin Gameiro, but their nerves were settled by Aubameyang, who latched onto Lacazette's flick on to volley into the corner expertly.
That took some of the sting out of the home crowd but Valencia still had the bulk of the chances until Lacazette looked to have made the tie safe on 50 minutes when putting Arsenal 5-2 ahead on aggregate with a typically cultured finish.
Gameiro's second just before the hour still managed to ruffle a few Arsenal feathers despite the visitors still leading 5-3 on aggregate, but any lingering doubts were put to bed when Aubameyang added a third 20 minutes from time.
1⃣- 1⃣ And it's route 1 from Arsenal from Cech's long ball...
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) May 9, 2019
💫 Lacazette wins the header & Aubameyang lashes in crucial away goal#VALARSpic.twitter.com/D4POiX69bE
Ainsley Maitland-Niles showed fancy footwork to beat his man on the right and whipped in a fine cross for Aubmeyang to poke home to make it 6-3 overall.
With time ticking away, Aubameyang completed his hat-trick a minute before time to make it an emphatic 7-3 aggregate success.
Valencia 2-4 Arsenal - Opta stats
- Arsenal have qualified for their seventh European final (1 Fairs Cup, 3 Cup Winners Cup, 1 Champions League, 2 UEFA Cup/Europa League), lifting the trophy on just two of the previous six occasions.
- Valencia lost for just the second time in their last 22 home games in all competitions (W15 D5).
- Arsenal registered a win away to Spanish opposition for the first time in eight games (D2 L5), since a 1-0 win at Real Madrid in February 2006.
- Including finals, Arsenal manager Unai Emery has won his last 19 Europa League knockout ties, last being eliminated from the competition in the 2011-12 semi-finals with Valencia.
- Valencia’s Kevin Gameiro has been directly involved in 12 goals in his last 12 starts in home Europa League games, scoring 11 and assisting one.
- Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has netted 29 goals in all competitions this season, a haul only Sergio Aguero (31) can better among Premier League players.
- Since his Arsenal debut in August 2017, Alexandre Lacazette has been directly involved in 51 goals for the club in all competitions, more than any other player (36 goals, 15 assists).
- Excluding own-goals, 11 of Arsenal’s last 12 Europa League goals have seen Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang involved (four goals and one assist for Lacazette and six goals and two assists for Aubameyang).
