Arsenal qualified for the Europa League final on Thursday night after a 4-2 win away to Valencia which gave them a 7-3 aggregate victory over the Spanish side.
The English side withstood a hostile atmosphere in Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium to come back after conceding an early goal and end up dominating the game.
Valencia began strongly knowing they needed to win 2-0 in order to reach the final and they got off to a perfect start when Kevin Gameiro put them 1-0 up on the night in the 11th minute.
The home side’s lead lasted just six minutes later when Arsenal’s strikers Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang combined for the latter to fire home from 18 meters.
Lacazette put Arsenal ahead on the night five minutes into the second half after a break launched by Aubameyang down the Valencia right and finished by the Frenchman with a low shot.
The goal meant Valencia needed to score four goals to qualify, and although they quickly pulled one back through Gameiro’s second of the game, Aubameyang killed off Valencia with two more goals to complete his hat-trick.
The first came thanks to a near post finish following a cross from Maitland Niles, while the second was a shot from a tight angle in the last minute to confirm Arsenal’s superiority and to give Arsenal coach Unai Emery a happy return to a ground where he is unpopular despite leading Valencia to three third place finishes in four seasons in charge.
