Unai Emery’s Gunners completed a clean sweep of six English sides through to European quarter-finals by overturning a 3-1 first-leg deficit to beat Rennes 3-0 and progress to the Europa League last eight at the Emirates on Thursday.
When you see Hector's latest update ๐
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) March 14, 2019
๐ช @HectorBellerin pic.twitter.com/0NL6wXDIjr
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice and also teed up Ainsley Maitland-Niles as Arsenal joined Chelsea in Friday’s Europa League quarter-final draw after Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ๐ช
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 13, 2019
Four English clubs in #UCL quarter-finals for the first time since 2008/09! pic.twitter.com/VV7DCm5L7u
Winning the Europa League would offer Arsenal the safety net of Champions League qualification should they miss out on a tight battle for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
But Gunners boss Unai Emery, who won the Europa League three times as Sevilla coach, also wants the glory of a trophy in his first season in charge.
“It is not only the possibility to go to Champions League,
What a goal!!! Arsenal with a comeback ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ @Arsenal @EuropaLeague #arsenal #soccer #football #ARSREN pic.twitter.com/tivvDaQPuC
— futy goalaso โฝ๏ธ (@FGoalaso) March 14, 2019
Rennes had never before reached the last 16 of a major European competition and the scale of the tie for the French side was evidenced by the huge travelling support they enjoyed.
However, rather than be inspired, Julien Stephan’s side seemed intimidated by their surroundings early on to concede twice inside 15 minutes.
Arsenal quickly had the early goal they sought to get back in the tie as Aaron Ramsey’s low cross was swept home by Aubameyang.
The French-born Gabon international was also involved in Arsenal’s second 10 minutes later, although Rennes were right to feel aggrieved that the goal was allowed to stand.
Aubameyang appeared to be clearly offside from Ramsey’s pass with Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil appearing to turn his back to the play expecting a flag.
A Rennes fan has gone to great lengths to demonstrate that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was offside & Arsenalโs 2nd goal should not have stood. pic.twitter.com/O2BafoxEzV
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) March 14, 2019
However, it was not forthcoming and with VAR not in operation in the Europa League unlike the more lucrative Champions League, Maitland-Niles’s downward header from Aubameyang’s cross was allowed to stand.
“The second goal was clearly offside,” said a frustrated Stephan.
“There was no need for the VAR to see the offside. VAR does not settle everything.
“Nothing was in the way of the assistant referee, who took much less time to raise his flag in the second half (when Rennes were attacking).”
Arsenal, though, then sat on their lead rather than building on it and could easily have paid for that approach after the break.
"My dream goes on – my dream is to retire with a trophy in my hands… thereโs a long way to go but with performances like that, we can compete."
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) March 15, 2019
Let's make it happen, @PetrCech ๐
Petr Cech, in what could have been the Czech great’s last game before retiring at the end of the season had Arsenal not progressed, turned M’Baye Niang’s shot from outside the area onto the post.
Rennes were again unhappy with the Latvian officiating team when Alexandre Lacazette escaped a second yellow card before the French international was replaced by Alex Iwobi.
But 18 minutes from time, Arsenal had a cushion when Sead Kolasinac’s wonderful low cross left Aubameyang with a simple task to tap home his 22nd goal of the season and celebrated by pulling on a Black Panther mask.
Full time! Arsenal are into the quarter-finals of the #UEL thanks to two goals from Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG AND a goal from Maitland Niles…. What a wonderful game. TONIGHT'S SAVIOR, THE BLACK Panther #ARSREN#aubameyang7 #YaGunnersYa pic.twitter.com/jenM6ZPMKB
— Lord Tumed (@LordTumed) March 14, 2019
Aubameyang needed it back to hide his embarrassment soon after as he missed two glorious chances in the space of 60 seconds to seal his hat-trick.
“I missed two chances to close the game but the most important thing is that we won and everybody is happy and proud,” said Aubameyang.
"I needed a mask which represents me. Itโs the Black Panther and in Africa, in Gabon, we call the national team the Black Panthers of Gabon… It represents me."
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) March 14, 2019
๐ฃย @Aubameyang7 pic.twitter.com/HJfJFDVRYx
“I needed a mask which represents me and that’s the Black Panther. In Gabon we call the national team the Panthers.”
But Aubameyang’s blushes were spared as Arsenal held out to continue the Premier League’s resurgence and leave France without a single representative in the quarter-finals of either European competition.
โช๏ธ Dortmund 0-1 Spurs
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 14, 2019
๐พ๐ช PSG 1-3 Man Utd
๐ฆ Man City 7-0 Schalke
๐ด Bayern 1-3 Liverpool
๐ต Kiev 0-5 Chelsea
๐ ฐ๏ธ Arsenal 3-0 Rennes
Every Premier League side won their second leg and advanced in Europe ๐ช pic.twitter.com/6NsaDg15oy
OH AUBA, OH YEEEEAH!
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) March 14, 2019
๐ #UEL ๐ด 3-0 โซ๏ธ (71) (4-3 on agg) pic.twitter.com/Dua7ntP8Tz
When you see Hector's latest update ๐
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) March 14, 2019
๐ช @HectorBellerin pic.twitter.com/0NL6wXDIjr
Celebrating Arsenal win in #Uganda ๐#TGIF pic.twitter.com/mFJcFdQCvt
— JORDANshirumatic (@jordanshirumat2) March 14, 2019
๐ @seadk6 posted this on his Instagram story #afc #arsenal pic.twitter.com/fPG3LsfN86
— Urban Arsenal (@urbanarsenaI) March 14, 2019