Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, has joined the league of players that gave their teams surprise wins in recent times.
Liverpool and Tottenham have benefitted from such in the past two days.
Aubameyang got a hat-trick that fired Arsenal into the Europa League final by scoring the hat-trick that ended Valencia’s hopes of another dramatic European comeback on Thursday.
According to AFP, having 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 to spark hopes of a revival to trump even the efforts of Liverpool and Tottenham this week but Aubameyang hit his second and then completed a brilliant hat-trick to complete a 4-2 Arsenal win, 7-3 on aggregate.
It keeps alive Arsenal’s chances 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 to finish fourth in the Premier League this weekend.
Standing in their way will be London rivals Chelsea or Eintracht Frankfurt, in Baku on May 29.
Valencia had been relying on the Europa League for Champions League qualification too, given they sit three points behind Getafe, who face a demoralised Barcelona on Sunday, with two games left in La Liga.
But over the two legs, Marcelino’s side could have few complaints. They were second best at Emirates Stadium and defensively frantic here.
