Ainsley Maitland-Niles was additionally heading in the right direction for the Gunners as they overturned a 3-1 deficit from their first leg conflict with the French minnows
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit a brace as Arsenal grew to become the sixth English membership to make it to the quarter-finals of a European competitors as they overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Rennes of their Europa League conflict.
Having misplaced 3-1 in France final week the Gunners had lots to do on the Emirates, and duly delivered with Ainsley Maitland-Niles additionally on the scoresheet to safe a 3-Zero victory on Thursday night time.
Manchester Metropolis, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United progressed to the final eight of the Champions League and Chelsea cantered into the Europa League quarter-finals earlier within the day, earlier than Unai Emery’s facet accomplished the set and ensured the Gunners too can be concerned in Friday’s attracts in Nyon.
Arsenal have type for making it exhausting for themselves having misplaced to each Rennes and BATE Borisov within the first leg of knockout ties this season.
They have been boosted right here by the supply of Alexandre Lacazette, who had his three-match ban for a pink card in Borisov lowered to 2 on attraction, and, having already served these video games out, he took his place in a powerful Arsenal line-up.
The Rennes assist, so loud at Roazhon Park per week in the past, tried to set a frenetic ambiance in north London – singing and lighting flares within the opening levels.
However it was Arsenal who made the early operating on the pitch with Lacazette concerned nearly from the off, shedding a close-run race with Rennes goalkeeper Tomas Koubek, who nearly received to a through-ball earlier than the ahead.
The opening aim got here from the following assault, Maitland-Niles getting in down the correct and discovering Aaron Ramsey within the field, together with his cross tucked away by Aubameyang.
Arsenal had their two-goal benefit with simply 15 minutes on the clock, the Rennes defence freezing as a cross by way of to Sead Kolasinac would have caught the wing-back offside – however Aubameyang broke by way of as a substitute, crossing for Maitland-Niles to nod dwelling on the far submit.
The guests nonetheless had the correct to be aggrieved on the aim as Aubameyang was additionally in an offside place when he opted to chase Ramsey’s cross earlier than taking part in the ball in.
A few juicy challenges, together with a nasty foul by Lacazette which solely earned him a yellow card, adopted as Rennes tried to regain a semblance of management.
Mesut Ozil and Lacazette mixed to arrange Ramsey, however his strike was straight at Koubek because the hosts went in at half-time with the lead they required.
There was a warning signal quickly after the interval as Shkodran Mustafi misplaced possession and Petr Cech needed to get down low to push M’Baye Niang’s shot onto the submit.
Ramy Bensebaini rattled the alternative submit solely to see the offside flag raised as Rennes started to push for the aim they wanted to utterly alter the complexion of the tie.
Emery opted to introduce Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan from the bench and the previous arrowed a shot simply vast with 20 minutes remaining.
However the third aim would come from the following assault, Mkhitaryan closely concerned as he burst ahead earlier than releasing Kolasinac, whose cross was completed off by Aubameyang – who celebrated by donning a Black Panther superhero masks.
The Gabon striker poked a shot vast as he nearly closed the tie out with a hat-trick earlier than scuffing a unbelievable probability moments later.
Rennes laid siege to the Arsenal field within the closing levels with out ever actually troubling Cech as Arsenal survived to say a 4-Three mixture win and full a clean-sweep of European victories for the Premier League high six.
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