Aubameyang treble sends Arsenal into Europa League final

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira and team mates celebrate after the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

VALENCIA, Spain (Reuters) - 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.

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette celebrates scoring their second goal with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and team mates Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

"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."

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates at the end of the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

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.

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira and team mates celebrate after the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

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.

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Arsenal's Lucas Torreira, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and team mates during the warm up before the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Liverpool will play Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final in Madrid on June 1.

(Reporting by Joseph Cassinelli, editing by Ed Osmond)

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Arsenal's Sokratis Papastathopoulos celebrates their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Arsenal's Matteo Guendouzi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan seperate Valencia's Gabriel Paulista and Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles REUTERS/Sergio Perez

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Arsenal's Matteo Guendouzi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan seperate Valencia's Gabriel Paulista and Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles REUTERS/Sergio Perez

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Arsenal's Shkodran Mustafi celebrates their fourth goal with Laurent Koscielny Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in action REUTERS/Sergio Perez

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Valencia fans a wave flag and let off a flare before the match REUTERS/Sergio Perez

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in action with Valencia's Gabriel Paulista Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates scoring their first goal with Granit Xhaka, Alexandre Lacazette and Ainsley Maitland-Niles Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Soccer Football - Europa League Semi Final Second Leg - Valencia v Arsenal - Mestalla, Valencia, Spain - May 9, 2019 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates scoring their fourth goal to complete his hat-trick with Matteo Guendouzi REUTERS/Sergio Perez