Europa League 2018-19: 3 reasons why Arsenal defeated Valencia
No words can describe how elated the Arsenal team and fans must be feeling right now. They are going to Baku for the Europa League finals!
Last season, they were knocked out at the semifinal stage of the competition. But under Unai Emery's guide, they have gone one step further.
Valencia started the match strong. They made use of their advantage of playing at home and got the game moving quickly.
Kevin Gameiro opened the scoring in the 11th minute. At that time, most viewers would have been wondering whether Valencia would secure a comeback just like Tottenham and Liverpool have done in the Champions League.
But the Gunners' fears were allayed as they did not lose their focus and calmed the match down. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalised for his side just six minutes later, and everything was level by the half-time whistle.
It was a different story after the break. As much as the home team tried their best to not give up, Arsenal proved to be stronger. Alexandre Lacazette netted to restore Arsenal's confidence, and the game seemed all but over.
Gameiro scored once again as he bundled the ball past Petr Cech. Despite his goal though, the home fans knew they had very little chance of advancing.
Not too long later, Aubameyang scored another two goals to make it 4-2 for the visitors. The North London club made no mistake and ensured that they did not endure the same fate as Barcelona or Ajax.
Here are three reasons why the Gunners won the tie and advanced to the finals:
#3 The Gunners gave it their all
After the disappointing draw with Brighton over the weekend, Emery knew that his side had close to zero chance of finishing in the top four. Tottenham, who are fourth right now, have a much better goal difference than Arsenal.
Winning the Europa League semi-final tie and final was the only route left for the Gunners in order to qualify for the Champions League next season. The goal for the team was clear: they must win at any cost.
Emery named a strong starting XI, including the likes of veteran defenders such as Nacho Monreal and Laurent Koscielny. Though Arsenal conceded two goals, the defensive line ought to be given credit for all the hard work throughout the match.
Valencia pressed high and had more attempts than the Gunners. However, they could not get more goals past their opponents.
All the Arsenal players gave their best and treated the match in Spain as though they were already playing in the finals. That ultimately made the difference.