Arsenal vs Valencia (3-1)
Alexandre Lacazette scored as Arsenal came from behind to beat Valencia 3-1 reception within the first leg of the Galilean League semi-final.
Mouctar Diakhaby headed Valencia into associate early lead at Emirates construction on Th however inside fourteen minutes the Gunners had turned the tie around.
Lacazette initial finished off a swift counter-attack involving Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before heading home Granit Xhaka’s cross to place Unai Emery’s men ahead.
And the European, a three-time winner of the competition with the city, can take a two-goal lead back to former club Valencia for next week’s second leg when Aubameyang was smitten late on.
Arsenal trailed within the eleventh minute, having already didn’t heed a warning from a Dani Parejo scenery that was eventually turned over the crossbar by Ezequiel Garay.
His defensive colleague Diakhaby wouldn’t build the same mistake, dropping in at the rear post once Rodrigo Moreno headed Parejo’s corner back across goal, however, Valencia’s advantage didn’t last long.
Ozil and Lacazette combined well to send Aubameyang through with the Gabon international beautifully teeing up his strike partner to tuck home.
And Arsenal took the lead within the twenty-fifth minute, with Lacazette’s downward header from a fine left Xhaka cross parried into his goal by Neto, via the post.
Parejo’s free-kick flew over the crossbar whereas Lacazette somehow lost a golden likelihood to seal his hat-trick by failing to attach with Aubameyang’s center.
Lacazette wasted a good clearer chance within the 68th minute, firing straight at Neto from close-range and once more failing to beat the goalkeeper on the rebound.
Petr Cech denied Kevin Gameiro, and also the striker volleyed over as Valencia launched a late rally.
Other Matches: Arsenal vs Napoli (2-0)
Other Matches: Manchester United vs Manchester City (0-2)
Goals Arsenal
| 18′ | Arsenal | A. Lacazette |
| 26′ | Arsenal | A. Lacazette |
| 90+1′ | Arsenal | P. Aubameyang |
Goals Valencia
| 11′ | Valencia | M. Diakhaby |
Arsenal Lineups
| 1 | Petr Čech |
| 20 | Shkodran Mustafi |
| 5 | Sokratis |
| 6 | Laurent Koscielny |
| 15 | Ainsley Maitland-Niles |
| 29 | Mattéo Guendouzi |
| 34 | Granit Xhaka |
| 31 | Sead Kolašinac |
| 10 | Mesut Özil |
| 9 | Alexandre Lacazette |
| 14 | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang |
Valencia Lineups
| 13 | Neto |
| 21 | Cristiano Piccini |
| 5 | Gabriel Paulista |
| 24 | Ezequiel Garay |
| 4 | Facundo Roncaglia |
| 14 | José Luis Gayà |
| 8 | Carlos Soler |
| 12 | Mouctar Diakhaby |
| 10 | Dani Parejo |
| 19 | Rodrigo |
| 7 | Gonçalo Guedes |
Arsenal – Valencia Match Statistics
Arsenal |
Valencia |
|
| 15 | Shots Total | 10 |
| 6 | Shots on goal | 3 |
| 4 | Shots off goal | 4 |
| 5 | Shots blocked | 3 |
| 11 | Shots inside box | 5 |
| 4 | Shots outside box | 5 |
| 17 | Fouls | 10 |
| 6 | Corners | 4 |
| 0 | Offsides | 1 |
| 2 | Saves | 3 |
| 58% | Possession Time | 42% |
| 536 | Passes Total | 393 |
| 443 | Accurate Passes | 307 |
| 83% | Accurate Passes% | 78% |