MONITORING DESK
\nLONDON
\nArsenal manager Unai Emery insisted his side\u2019s Europa League semi-final against Valencia is still \u201c50-50\u201d despite the Gunners taking a 3-1 first leg lead to Spain.
\nValencia\u2019s bright start at the Emirates on Thursday was rewarded with Mouctar Diakhaby\u2019s away goal.
\nBut Alexandre Lacazette quickly turned the game around with two goals in eight first-half minutes before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang\u2019s late strike gave Arsenal a two-goal advantage to defend at the Mestalla on May 9.
\nHowever, Emery, who managed Valencia between 2008 and 2012, knows the tie is far from over due to Arsenal\u2019s terrible away record this season.
\n\u201cIt is a good result at home, but the second leg is going to be very difficult and maybe different. I consider for both teams it is 50-50,\u201d said Emery.
\n\u201cWe can be proud of the players. It is not easy to be calm and come back with that result against this team.\u201d
\nArsenal are desperate not just for silverware in Emery\u2019s first season but the guarantee of Champions League qualification for next season that winning the Europa League would bring.
\n\u201cWe want to win the Europa League to go straight to the Champions League but also to win a trophy,\u201d said Lacazette.
\n\u201cWe want to finish in the top four in the Premier League and if we can go to Baku (for the Europa League final) it will be special.\u201d
\nA run of three straight Premier League defeats has left Emery\u2019s men needing more favours from Chelsea or Tottenham to stand any chance of Champions League qualification via a top-four Premier League finish.
\nThe Gunners had conceded three times in all three of those defeats to Crystal Palace, Wolves and Leicester and the same defensive deficiencies cost them again early on.
\nValencia had already missed a glorious chance to take the lead when Ezequiel Garay blazed over before Diakhaby forced the ball home at the back post for the vital away goal on 11 minutes.
\nEmery has been reticent to start Lacazette and Aubameyang together up front, but the game turned on one moment of magic from Arsenal\u2019s two prolific strikers.
\nLacazette played in Aubameyang and the Gabon international left his marker and Valencia goalkeeper Neto on the ground before squaring for his strike partner to roll into an empty net.
\nSeven minutes later, Arsenal led as terrible defending allowed Lacazette a free header from Granit Xhaka\u2019s cross and a weak hand from Neto could not prevent the ball crossing the line.
\n\u201cWe had the game completely in control until their first goal,\u201d lamented Valencia coach Marcelino Garcia Toral.
\n\u201cWe played against two strikers that are very good which is why they cost the millions that they did. With the slightest error they punish you.\u201d
\nLacazette missed two glorious opportunities to complete his hat-trick as he firstly failed to connect with an inch-perfect Aubameyang cross before Neto made a brilliant save at his near post to keep the Spanish side in the tie.
\nAt the other end, Petr Cech also had to make a smart stop as he raced from his goal to deny substitute Kevin Gameiro.
\nThe veteran stopper has announced he will retire at the end of the season.
\nAnd Cech\u2019s final game could well be against his former club Chelsea in next month\u2019s final as the Blues secured a 1-1 draw away at Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of the other semi-final.
\nArsenal still have work to do, but they moved much closer to booking their trip to Baku when Aubameyang turned home at the back post in the final minute.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MONITORING DESK LONDON Arsenal manager Unai Emery insisted his side\u2019s Europa League semi-final against Valencia is still \u201c50-50\u201d despite the Gunners taking a 3-1 first leg lead to Spain. Valencia\u2019s bright start at the Emirates on Thursday was rewarded with Mouctar Diakhaby\u2019s away goal. But Alexandre Lacazette quickly turned the game around with two goals […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":62482,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n