EMERY’S A-TEAM ARE ON FIRE
Auba & Alex strike to give Gunners a Final chance
ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE scored twice, could have had four and it might still not be enough.
The problem with Arsenal is no matter how good they are going forward, they are calamitous at the back. It is hard to imagine them keeping a clean sheet in the return leg.
Although Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added a last-gasp third the tie is still on a knifeedge thanks to Valencia’s away goal.
And Unai Emery must fear the worst even after his side fought back to win having gone behind early on.
The Arsenal boss lifted this trophy three times in consecutive seasons with Sevilla and will have to work some more magic next week because his team lack confidence and authority. They look a long way from being capable of winning a major European trophy, have stumbled in the race for top four and yet Valencia are a pale shadow of their former selves.
What Emery says in his team talks is baffling because Arsenal looked a shambles at first, their defence resembling Keystone Kops.
Valencia missed a sitter after eight minutes when Ezequiel Garay somehow put the ball over from almost underneath the crossbar.
Arsenal did not heed the warning and conceded three minutes later when a free-kick caused chaos, Rodrigo headed on and Mouclar Diakhaby muscled his way between Granit Xhaka and Lacazette at the back post to force home. Arsenal were at sixes and sevens at the back. Petr Cech parried Daniel Parejo’s shot and Ainsley MaitlandNiles inexplicably headed the rebound back to the keeper, letting in Goncalo Guedes, who put it over.
Yet however bad Arsenal are at the back, they are still a threat in attack with their £100million strike force.
Aubameyang’s pace undid the Valencia defence, he turned Facundo Roncaglia and then set up Lacazette, who steered into an empty net after 18 minutes. The comeback was on.
Eight minutes later, Arsenal were in front. Xhaka put over a deep cross, Lacazette rose and headed goalwards and keeper Neto made a horrible mess of it, pushing the ball onto a post. It was over the line before being hacked clear. Suddenly the mood in the stadium changed, the groans about the defensive failings were turning to cheers.
But, with this team, home fans were probably thinking more goals were needed for the trip to Spain.
Arsenal struggled to create clearcut chances, Aubameyang firing into the ground and wide and then Lacazette missing the ball with an attempted header with the goal at his mercy.
It was left to Aubameyang three minutes into injury time to give the Gunners some much-needed breathing space.