Arsenal 3-1 Valencia
Two first half goals from Alexandre Lacazette and a late strike by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have given Arsenal a very handy lead to take to Spain for the Europa League semi-final second leg.
This tournament represents a good chance to qualify for next season’s Champions League with both Arsenal and Valencia struggling to reach a top four spot in their domestic leagues. And after Valencia stunned the Emirates by taking an early lead, Arsenal recovered well to take a big step towards the final. Unai Emery was boss at the Mestalla for four years before he took over at FC Sevilla, where he won the Europa League three times; and he has his eye on the prize again.
The SBOBET Europa League is bubbling up to a fantastic climax with Chelsea and Frankfurt neck and neck in the other semi-final, and we’ll be right there with all the Europa League 2019 news as it happens.
Highlights of the game
Valencia was ahead within 11 minutes, but not before they had given the Gunners a warning shot. Danger man Dani Parejo lifted a ball into the area and when Rodrigo passed it back across the goal Ezequiel Garay looked destined to score, but he blasted his volley over from point blank range.
But the hosts didn’t learn from that and when Parejo crossed again, this time Rodrigo headed the ball back and Mouctar Diakhaby beat three Arsenal defenders to head home and give Los Che that crucial early away goal.
Goncalo Guedes should have made it two moments later, but he fired over from ten yards after Petr Cech had parried a Parejo strike. And then, against the run of play, the Gunners were level with their first attempt on goal. Their most potent striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, has been out of the team with a sinus problem but was back in the side; and when he took a through ball from Lacazette he saw Neto come off his line and he squared the ball back for the Lacazette to score.
And then moments later the hosts were two up, and it was that man Lacazette again. When Granit Xhaka crossed deep into the Valencia penalty area the French hit man had a free header at the far post and planted that one home.
The Gunners came out in the second half searching for a third and had their chances. Aubameyang crossed for Lacazette at the far post but with the goal at his mercy he somehow missed it altogether. And it was Lacazette again who found himself with a one on one with Neto but he shot straight at the keeper and spurned his second chance, hitting the keeper again.
Valencia weren’t out of the game and the excellent Parejo played Kevin Gameiro in, but Cech was alert to the danger and came off his line to save.
But it was Arsenal who scored the crucial fourth goal, Aubameyang making it 3-1 in the last minute of normal time. After Neto had made a superb save to deny Lacazette, the ball was reworked to Kolasinac who crossed for Aubameyang to volley home.
Key statistics
After a run of three defeats in the league, Arsenal’s season is pretty much on a knife-edge and their biggest chance of Champions League football is the Europa League.
The Arsenal vs Valencia betting odds had the Gunners at 2.20 to win, and the favourite’s had the edge on the big statistical measures, enjoying 58 per cent possession and winning the shot count by 15 to ten, with six to three on target.
This was the first time Arsenal had beaten Valencia in four attempts.
What’s next?
Valencia looks like finishing in a Europa League place in La Liga, currently in sixth place and three points off the pace for a Champions League place. But a trip to Huesca might help Marcelino’s team drag themselves back into contention. The bottom club has gone six games unbeaten though and needs to win to keep its own hopes alive; so that won’t be easy.
Then the Spaniards welcome Arsenal to the cauldron of Mestalla on the 9th May in the hope of overturning the two goal deficit. But they do have the crucial away goal, and it could have been worse as Lacazette could have scored a hatful. The Valencia crowd will make it a hostile experience for the visitors.
For the Gunners the second leg is sandwiched between a home game against Brighton and, on the final day of the season, a visit to Burnley. They need to win both and hope Chelsea slip up to snatch a top four place.
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