Valencia: Arsenal will play Chelsea in the Europa League final after a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hat-trick ended Valencia’s hopes of another dramatic European comeback here Thursday.
Meanwhile, Kepa Arrizabalaga’s penalty heroics clinched a dramatic 4-3 shoot-out win for Chelsea against Eintracht Frankfurt in the other semifinal.
Trailing 3-1 from the first leg, Valencia made the perfect start at Mestalla when Kevin Gameiro finished at the back post but goals from Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette left the home side needing four in 40 minutes.
Gameiro scored again, sparking hopes of a revival to trump even the efforts of Liverpool and Tottenham this week, before Aubameyang hit his second and then completed a brilliant hat-trick to seal a 4-2 win, 7-3 on aggregate.
There will be a London derby for the final in Baku May 29 and, for the first time in history, four English teams competing in both the Champions League and Europa League finals, with Liverpool and Spurs meeting in Madrid three days later.
It also keeps alive Arsenal’s chance of securing a place in the Champions League next season and, realistically, their last chance, given they need to overturn three points and an eight-goal swing on Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend.
There will also be no Spanish team in either European final for the first time since 2013, and only the second time in 10 years.
AFP