Europa League: Arsenal and Chelsea set for all-English showdown

A hat-trick from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and an Alexandre Lacazette strike booked Arsenal's place in the Europa League final with a 4-2 win at Valencia on Thursday to seal an emphatic 7-3 aggregate victory.

Unai Emery's side will face Chelsea in Baku on May 29 after their London rivals beat Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties to ensure both European club competitions will feature all-English finals.
Arsenal's first win on Spanish soil since beating Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in 2006 kept their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League through Europe's secondary competition alive.

"We reacted well to going behind and we knew we had to score a minimum of one goal tonight," Lacazette told BT Sport.
"Auba (Aubameyang) was unbelievable tonight with an incredible hat-trick, so thanks to him.

"We have played badly in the Premier League during the last month and now we have to use this opportunity. We want to play in the Champions League next season and we want the trophy."
In a week of improbable European comebacks, Valencia, trailing 3-1 from the first leg, were seeking to become the latest side to overturn a hefty deficit and made the perfect start as Kevin Gameiro slid in to convert Rodrigo's centre with 11 minutes played.
Rodrigo sent an effort wide as the home crowd sensed an upset, but Arsenal were soon level when Aubameyang notched his first out of nothing, producing a fine finish from outside the box from Lacazette's flick on following goalkeeper Petr Cech's long clearance.

Valencia continued to push forward, with Dani Parejo sending a free kick narrowly wide before Jose Luis Gaya was booked for diving on the cusp of halftime as they desperately sought a second.
Marcelino's side were caught napping by Lacazette's curling effort just after the break to put the visitors ahead on the night.

Gameiro converted Rodrigo's mis-hit shot just before the hour to set up a possible grandstand finish, but Aubameyang soon restored Arsenal's lead before completing his treble two minutes from time to book their first European final since they lost the 2006 Champions League final to Barcelona.
Tempers flared as players from both sides clashed on the final whistle, but it was Emery's side celebrating as they booked their final place.
Liverpool will play Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final in Madrid on June 1. (Reporting by Joseph Cassinelli, editing by Ed Osmond)

Hazard nets winning penalty

 Eden Hazard scored the winning penalty for Chelsea to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 4-3 in their Europa League semi-final shootout on Thursday and become the fourth English side to reach a European final this season.
They will meet London club Arsenal in distant Baku on May 29.
A lively semi-final had finished 1-1 after the sides produced the same scoreline in Frankfurt a week ago and it was fitting that Hazard, Chelsea's gifted midfielder, should win the match with what could be his final kick at Stamford Bridge.
The Belgian is expected to leave Chelsea at the end of the season after seven seasons in London, with Real Madrid in pursuit of his silky skills.
Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was another hero on the night, saving penalties from Martin Hinteregger and Goncalo Paciencia in the shootout in which Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta also had his shot stopped.
Chelsea had looked in charge half an hour into the game when Hazard dodged and shimmied round the Frankfurt defence on the left flank before pushing a perfectly-weighted pass into the path of Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The England midfielder rolled the ball into net at the far post in the 28th minute.
But three minutes after the break Luka Jovic split the Chelsea defence, playing a neat one-two with Mijat Gacinovic before shooting past the stranded Arrizabalaga to level the scores.
The visitors had the psychological advantage and pressed 2013 Europa League winners Chelsea, with Jovic, Ante Rebic and Danny da Costa a constant threat as the German team sought a potentially decisive second away goal.
At the other end, Olivier Giroud, Willian and substitute Davide Zappacosta squandered chances for the home side in a frantic and error-strewn last 20 minutes of normal time.