In the beginning of Europa League the path was plain but the later end of journey started wearing up, slowly and steadily becoming a terrain, tough to drive through but not impossible for the Gunners.
From the beginning of Europa League, we were favourites to top the group being placed alongside Sporting Lisbon and two low-key clubs, Vorskla and Qarabag FK. But we knew that the task was not to be taken lightly.
On Matchday 1, Arsenal hosted Vorskla and did not treat the visitors well, winning the first tie of Europa League 4-2 and announcing their command. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a brace in his first Europa League tie for Arsenal.
Later, we visited Qarabag and won that tie also. A 3-0 score at the end was enough to cruise our command, further. We visited, we won; we hosted, we won. Be it Sporting Lisbon or any of the two teams we won 5 of the 6 games and drew one with Sporting Lisbon.
The Round-of-32 was also there for us. Tied against BATE who had finished second in their respective group, we lost the 1st-leg 1-0 but when we hosted them back at Emirates, they could only wish why? We pounced back in the second leg to win the tie with 3-1 on aggregate. There we were cruising towards final, yet again with a commanding victory.
On our journey to glory, Rennes was hurdled, but only for their misfortune. Hosting us, they did scare us with a 3-1 victory at their home. Their victory, however, was mot enough to hold them favourites in second leg. Coming back at Emirates and winning 3-0, we made it to the quarters, again it was the brace of Aubameyang to take us through.
The test of nerves had begun. The real test was on for our defenders. We were facing a defensively strong side in Napoli who also had creative strikers. The Naples under Ancelloti looked stringer than ever. We hosted the first leg and won convincingly.
To take a lead of 2 goals against Naples was game half-won. Travelling to their turf was scary but so were we. The Gunners didn’t give up to their consistent beating and were eventual winners at scoreline of 1-0.
The semi-final was calling accompanied with our worst adversaries. We were going to face former Emery-led squad Valencia against whom we had the worst of experience. We had barely beaten the Spanish club. And all of those defeats were avenged with command, yet again.
In the leg 1, Lacazette scored two stunners to grant us a 3-1 lead going into second leg. Then, Lacazette begets the best out of Aubameyang, doesn’t he. Auba created history in the second-leg, scoring a hat-trick for himself and taking is to Baku with a thumping scoreline of
7-3.
Yes, we had made it to the finals convincingly. Now, Chelsea, who are only 13 km’s apart will have to be show who the real kings of London are. The throne has been placed only to be conquered by Gunners.
WATCH: Every Arsenal goal on the road to Baku | Europa League Final 2019
