Aubameyang’s stunning treble and Lacazette strike seal comeback romp as Gunners storm into Europa League final
Emery's men recover from early shock as they have too much firepower for their La Liga hosts in this semi-final second leg
LET the carnage begin.
Arsenal are on their way to Baku and their long-suffering fans are already planning their tortuous trek to the Azerbaijani capital.
And even the worst-laid plans of EUFA’s fat cats are not going to stop them.
They have already made the 5,000-mile round-trip once this season and now they are going to beg, steal or borrow to get their hands on one of the 7,000 tickets which their club have been allocated.
Because 25 years since their last European title, Arsenal are heading into the Europa League final convinced their name is on the trophy.
It has been a long and arduous journey, culminating in this daunting test of character which few outside of Unai Emery’s inner sanctum ever thought them capable of withstanding,.
F****** Mentality Giants, as no-one has ever said about this team before.
For in the week of unexpected comebacks, perhaps the biggest surprise of the lot was Arsenal holding their nerve in one of Europe’s most daunting arenas.
But a stunning hat-trick from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and another from Alexandre Lacazette were more than enough to ensure there was no danger of Valencia coming back from the dead to emulate the heroics of Liverpool and Spurs.
If Arsenal had any doubts about the kind of reception that was awaiting them, they were dispelled the moment the team bus edged its way through the thousands of supporters thronging the narrow streets around the Mestalla.
Emery was the first to emerge to a choking fog of thick red smoke and a cacophony of ear-splitting abuse.
The Valencia fans have neither forgotten nor forgiven their former manager for the manic way he celebrated Seville’s last minute winner here in the 2014 Europa League semi-finals.
It was at Seville that Emery carved out his reputation as the Europa League Invincible and now he is looking to get his hands on the trophy for a fourth time.
He had boldly declared on the eve of this match that winning a cup means more to him than qualifying for the Champions League.
And while the Arsenal money men might not agree with that sentiment, it is hard not to admire his death or glory approach after years of Arsene Wenger settling for fourth place.
Yet though Emery was relishing the oppressive atmosphere inside the stadium, his players were much less comfortable as they struggled to cope with the intimidating hostility.
They knew it was imperative to withstand the early onslaught and not offer any encouragement to a desperate Valencia team.
But they were unable to carry out Emery’s pre-match instructions and found themselves behind after just 11 minutes when Kevin Gameiro slid in to convert from Rodrigo’s cross.
They would have been two down three minutes later but for Gameiro inadvertently blocking Rodrigo’s goalbound effort.
The French striker had once played for Emery at Sevilla and scored the winning penalty in the 2014 Europa League final as well as well as the equaliser in their 3-1 win against Liverpool two years later.
But this time he was Emery’s unintentional saviour, throwing Arsenal a much-needed lifeline which they grabbed with both hands after another Rodrigo piledriver had flashed narrowly wide.
Former Gunners defender Gabriel made a complete hash of Petr Cech’s long 17th minute boot down the middle to allow Lacazette to nod on for Aubameyang.
Yet there still appeared to be little threat until Arsenal’s record signing chested the ball down and hammered a first-time shot past startled keeper Neto.
It was precisely the kind of goal Arsenal had paid £60million for and one which briefly stunned the Mestalla into silence.
Lacazette should have ended any lingering uncertainty shortly before half-time but grazed the wrong side of the post after more outstanding work by Aubameyang.
Suddenly it was the visitors who were calling the shots, with Mesut Ozil gradually taking control of possession and Laurent Koscielny dominating at the back.
Jose Gaya added to Valencia’s growing frustration when he was booked for diving over Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ penalty box challenge a minute before the break.
And the hosts knew the game was up when Lacazette turned onto Lucas Torreira’s 50th minute through ball to steer a precise low shot beyond the reach of Neto.
Gameiro briefly raised hopes of a Mestalla miracle when he bundled in another Rodrigo shot but the final word belonged to the outstanding Lacazette when he slid in to poke Maitland-Niles’ cross inside the near post.
Valencia might have been finished but Aubameyang wasn’t and two minutes from time he slammed an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net to complete his first Arsenal hat-trick.
Maitland-Niles and Torreira weren’t even born when Tony Adams lifted the Cup-Winners’ Cup in Copenhagen back in 1994.
It wasn’t quite in black and white but for a club of Arsenal’s ambitions it is now time to enter the age of high definition.
Arsene Wenger spent 22 years without success trying to end that Euro-drought. Unai Emery has only been in charge for ten months but is already on the brink of greatness.