Good morning guys and gals.
I don’t know where that came from but my goodness, how good were Aubameyang and Lacazette? How good were Arsenal? Yes we started slowly, conceded early, looked shaky early but after we settled, brilliant. Just brilliant!
The big names turned up and scored goals, excellent goals. Aubameyang went home with the match ball, a stunning hat-trick. In that kind of form he’s unstoppable. We need more of that, not the Aubameyang who goes into his shell all too often. Lacazette hit the post, then a bit later spun his marker and finished in style. Wicked.
Yes we looked a bit suspect in the first half, especially down our right but no one was switched on enough to see AMN was in need of help let alone give him that support. Valencia had targeted him, that was clear. Aubameyang realised, or someone told him and things changed. Lacazette wasn’t shy of defensive duties either. Ozil though had one of those nights when might as well have stayed at home but I guess when he’s on the pitch, opponents fear what he might do. Mkhitaryan faired no better when he replaced the German.
Weak defensive work for the two goals we conceded but on the night, it didn’t matter and for most of the rest of the game, we looked quite comfortable I reckon. Ish.
I am going to mention AMN who after struggling a little as a wave of attacking moves came down his side, he grew as the game went on. His move down the right, the ball into the box for Aubameyang to slam home was inch perfect.
Unai Emery:
These two matches (Napoli and Valencia away) were amazing. “The mentality for these two matches, how we respond against two big, big teams, was perfect. Today we showed everybody our character and also our capacity to be together and struggle.”
“They are very, very good strikers,” Emery said of Aubameyang and Lacazette. “I am proud of them, how they worked defensively. They are big players, good strikers, but when the commitment is like today defensively, [when they] work to help us, it is amazing.
Their attacking moments also came because other players created chances for them to score, so the work from every player was perfect. Not one team this year has scored four goals against Valencia. Only one time, against Atlético Madrid, have they [even] conceded three goals and we did that last week as well. It’s a very good team, a difficult team, and today we showed we can do that.”
The determination from Lacazette to win the header with the faintest of touches, gave Aubameyang the chance to score. A great finish it was too. Lacazette’s strength and deft touch to set up his own goal was pretty special too. In between those somewhere was another from the man from Gabon who couldn’t stop smiling as he left the pitch with match ball in hand.
I guess there are two ways to look at last nights performance. You can either believe that Valencia are an average side who we should be beating. A side which doesn’t press as hard as teams do in England and a side who are certainly less physical etc etc. Or you can look at it and appreciate the way in which having gone a goal down early in both games, we fought back. At home in the first tie we never gave up until the referee blew his whistle which ensured we scored that all important third goal. Last night was the same. Twice after Valencia threatened a come back with a lively stadium full of fans urging them to do so, we didn’t give up, we didn’t cave in to the pressure. No, we stayed strong and went again. Scored again. Again, and again. Oh, and again. Everyone played their part, some more so than others but as a team/squad, we got the job done in a convincing manner.
Well, that’s certainly how I saw it through my Arsenal tinted spectacles.
Over in West London, Chelsea endured a much tougher night, needing extra time and penalties to get through. All four English teams are in the European Finals which is great for the Premier League. Especially as three of them aren’t clubs whose managers have had a bottomless financial pit to spend from.
Baku on the 29th May is our next stop. Via Burnley of course and that will be a tough and physical match. Does Unai Emery rotate, or try and keep the momentum going?
After the work and effort the players put in last night, I’d be tempted to rest the key players but Unai Emery will be damned either way..
See you in the comments guys.
Outstanding performance and my gloom is gone. The chances of us putting 7 pass Burnley, keeping a clean sheet and Totts losing their game is non existent. Play the kids and second string. Another thought, is Ramsey really too far gone for a game in 3 weeks time?
I wondered that too Chrispy when the club announced his season was over.
Morning Rico. It was certainly a pretty good performance and Aubamayang’s best in an Arsenal shirt I reckon. Valencia never lived up to the hype and the European leagues in general have never been so poor. Presumably this coincides with the money available in the PL which has raised the standard here considerably.
Chelsea look very average at the moment so we have nothing to fear in the final.
Morning Adam. Definitely re Aubameyang, he was excellent, as was Lacazette I thought. Even Mustafi was up for it when he came on.
Agree re Chelsea, respect them, but don’t fear them.
Morning (for you) all, and what a day it’s been!!
My Aussie mates have been absolutely buzzing all day and after a season filled with inconsistency, this really has given us a chance to finish with a bang.
There is no aura about the Chavs any more, and no reason at all for us to fear them so here’s hoping we can head to Baku and get the job done!!
Good morning everyone, what a night that was!
So it’s off to Baku a 6,000 mile round trip. With annihilation due to global warming threatening the planet UEFA could give it’s green credentials a boost and reduce its own carbon footprint by relocating the Europa League Final to Wembley. I wonder how much the Azerbaijan FA paid UEFA for the honour of staging the Final.
On the plus side of Baku, no Mkhitaryan 😜
Rico. Is this because of the political situation with Armenia or because he is essentially useless?
Politics Adam. Or both. Lol
Good report rico, morning all. Great result and performance, congrats to the team. But why oh why couldn’t we play like that against Brighton, Palace, Leicester etc. Never mind, in our own hands to win a trophy and qualify for Champions league.
Thanks Andrew. Surely that’s down to the effort individuals put in, or rather lack of it over the last few weeks especially. When did we last see Auba put in that kind of shift, or be so clinical in front of goal?
Morning Gooners
Morning Rico, good post, our first european final in 13 years and that’s actually quite a piss poor record, but maybe we now have a guy, with a european pedigree who can turn that record around?
Valencia and Napoli are good sides, but the game has changed, the physicality of the Premier League teams has swung the game in our favour again and away from the tiki taka europeans.
English teams always had that edge in physicality because of our league football, but what we have now are some of the best coaches allied to a technique that is their equal.
Maybe we’re entering a period of Premier League dominance again, whilst the Real Madrid’s, Barcelona’s, Bayern’s and Juve’s rebuild?
When the game went 1-1 you could feel the enthusiasm drain away from the Spanish crowd, even at 2-2 following Gameiros lucky equaliser, they didn’t believe they could turn it around, you don’t get that at Wolves or Leicester or Everton or anywhere in the Premier League, teams rarely capitulate in England, the fans won’t allow it.
So in the end it looks easy, but winning in Napoli and Valencia isn’t easy and whilst it doesn’t make Arsenal the champions of the world, beating those teams in their own backyards isn’t something to be sniffy about… Imo. 🙂
Morning Kev, thanks.
Well said. I’m thrilled we’re in the final, it’s been a long time coming and well overdue.. Now go and win it.
I’m of the same view Kev, and that stadium was hardly quiet to begin with. Mind you, they did soon begin to leave rather early..
Emery certainly seems to be better than Wenger in European football.
I don’t know Kev, I’ve seen Arsenal capitulate in the Premier 🙂
I’ve not really seen Arsenal capitulate at the Emirates though Andrew, but I take your point.
I guess what I was saying was how difficult it is to kill off opponents in the Premier League when you’re the away team, but in europe it seems easier.
Only Man City and Liverpool have won consistently on their travels, all the rest of us are flakey, especially Arsenal, but then we do focus on Arsenal as they’re our team.
The Emirates has been a much better place results wise imo. Apart from the last couple of matches.
If Emery sorts our away form in the PL next season, and VAR is used properly, next season should be a better one. Thrown in a few strong willed players of course..
I remember hearing on commentary Kev, ‘this could be a mauling’ after our early penalty against Brighton. I knew then we were in danger! You are right, any Prem team is never a pushover.
Rico, we all know the players from our past who used to roll their sleeves up, and agree we need a couple. I was surprised when you praised Deeney’s attitude, but after thinking about it, yes, I can see what you mean, we’ve improved a bit from being so soft, but still need a few Generals who won’t roll over away from home.
Absolutely agree Andrew. It’s all very well having Sokratis, Torreira and even Lacazette at times but the rest are pretty weak, both physically and mentally. It’s costing us on the road.
Kompany on a free???
On his wages, no thanks..
Great post… professional and clinical is what last night was full credit to the boys and emery it hasn’t happen often enough this season unfortunately.
Ya never know Aaron might make it on the bench in 3 weeks.
Come summer we definitely need imo height, strength and power injected into this team along with a winger and we could be formidable.
Champions league or not kronke is a bloody idiot to not back emery with a few quid, hopefully seeing us reach a European final with an unbalanced squad will make josh sit up and take notice and realise with a little help we could be so much better.
Afternoon all.
What we really, really want…….is a ‘Tony Adams’, a General, an organiser, a leader. A player who can see what’s occurring on the field, during the game and bark out instructions to the team of how to change the play according to the demands of the game at that time. Someone who can ‘read’ the game and adapt the team to counter the oppositions tactics.
It’s not much to ask, is it? Our chaps are just too nice and often too easily satisfied, even in defeat!
There I’ve solved it………..I wish!
Cold and damp and miserable here.
I’m sure there’s a few out there Wavy, not with Arsenal running through them, although who knows with the younger players, maybe one day. There’s got to be an old fashioned English top defender somewhere.
I must say, Gabriel didn’t impress me at all over the two legs.
Andrew it’s not Generals we need, they command from behind the lines, what we need is a couple of senior NCOs who are willing to lead by example, to bawl and shout instructions to their team mates on the pitch.
My wife went for a walk this morning, shortly after she left it started to rain. The rain got heavier and as she hadn’t returned I phoned her to ask where she was and offer to bring the car to pick her up. The call cut out a couple of times and then I heard very faintly “I’m surrounded by cows” before the call cut out again. Fearing the worst I immediately grabbed my boots and a waterproof coat and set out across the grazing meadows to find her. Eventually, after about a mile and a half, I saw her walking towards me with not a cow in sight.
“Hullo”, she said, “why have you come out, to get soaked as well?” “Because you said you were surrounded by cows” I replied. “No” she answered “I said I was round by Ivy House”.
She took my hand and said “You came out to rescue me, you’re my knight in shining armour”. “Bloody rusty armour more like” I muttered as we trudged home, cold and wet.
rIco, the first of many hattricks for Auba fingers crossed.
Not sure if I heard it right on the radio this morning but both Arsenal & Chelsea will receive an allocation of 6000 tickets each for the final in Baku, the stadium is 60,0000 plus capacity, that’s outrageous !
Cicero, you big old softie…
Micko, let’s hope he’s got the bug now….. lol
Afternoon guys.
I went to watch Halep , Djokovic, Federer and Nadal play in Madrid yesterday ( daughter lives in Madrid) and, was SO depressed about losing out to the top 4 that I clean forgot that the team were in Valencia. They ( the tennis players) all won their matches so I was overjoyed that we won a great victory too.
We’re all scratching our heads as to why the team blows hot & cold but all we need is a hot performance on the 29th. A win at Burnley would be a bonus.
Excellent article Rico.
Paltry number of tickets though and like you Cicero, I agree with your sentiments on Wembley 👍
Thanks Andorra, our last few matches have been a cock up in a huge way.
My reply has been zapped. GGGGGRRRRRRRRR
Why?
Probably because it went that interesting?
That’s annoying Vcc, it happens sometimes and I’ve no idea why…
Kel, just found your comment in spam, no idea why sorry. Thanks re the post.
Agree re Kroenke, he needs to back Emery financially…
Rico, we don’t know what money Kompany would want, though.
It’s worth a little investigating, as he’s exactly the type of player we’ve needed for a long time now.
There must be younger versions about .We don’t want another Sylvestre
Potter, fair enough, but who and can we afford them?
I’m just thinking for a season, maybe two he’d do a job.
Cheer up folks, Gazidis wants to sign Mustafi! 😁. But then United are “willing” to let us sign Bailly 😠
He’s not for me Scott, whatever he wants to earn.
Morning all
Good morning Rico, a couple of years ago Kompany would have been ideal, now he’s well into the creaky legs time of his footballing life.
Chalie Gilmour leaves , The first of the youth going out ?
Morning Cicero. Yep, we’d be paying him for physio much of the time.
So the clear out begins then with Gilmour. It’ll be interesting to see what Rick thinks on that.
New post up now
Another injury prone defender, that’s all we need lol.
Morning all, exciting weekend ahead Gooners !