Arsenal 3 Rennes 0 (4-3 agg): Aubameyang brace sends Gunners through

Arsenal progressed to the quarterfinals of the Europa League after a 3-0 home win against Rennes that sealed a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Published : Mar 15, 2019 08:46 IST

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wears a Black Panther mask after scoring for Arsenal.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wears a Black Panther mask after scoring for Arsenal.
lightbox-info

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wears a Black Panther mask after scoring for Arsenal.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a brace to send Arsenal into the quarterfinals of the Europa League, its 3-0 home win securing a 4-3 aggregate victory against Rennes.

With the Ligue 1 side leading 3-1 from the first leg, Aubameyang and Ainsley Maitland-Niles scored in the first 15 minutes of Thursday's return to draw Arsenal level on aggregate.

Rennes had chances to snatch a last-eight spot at Emirates Stadium on Thursday, with M'Baye Niang cracking a strike against the post at 3-3, but Aubameyang struck again in the 72nd minute.

Only one side in Europa League knockout history had previously successfully overturned a 3-1 first-leg defeat — Fulham downing Serie A giant Juventus in 2009-10 — but Arsenal moved into the quarters, where it faces London rivals Chelsea.

Arsenal needed a fast start and they got one, opening the scoring in the fifth minute when Maitland-Niles and Aaron Ramsey combined down the right channel to tee up Aubameyang for a simple close-range finish.

Related: Blues into quarterfinals after Giroud treble

And the Gunners were soon on level terms in the tie, Maitland-Niles arriving at the back post to steer home a downward header from Aubameyang's cross, Rennes having paused for an offside flag that did not come.

But Arsenal's tempo slipped and a run from Hatem Ben Arfa — an outcast under current Gunners boss Unai Emery at Paris Saint-Germain — ended with a tame shot at Petr Cech.

A buoyed Rennes then hit the post after the restart, Niang beating former Rennes goalkeeper Cech but not the woodwork after Shkodran Mustafi gave the ball away near his own box.

Substitute Alex Iwobi rifled wide from the edge of the penalty area as Arsenal tried to settle the tie before Aubameyang came up with what proved the decisive goal in the 72nd minute.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan sent Sead Kolasinac clear into space on the left wing to deliver a low cross and Aubameyang was there to tuck home, celebrating the goal by wearing a Black Panther mask.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment