Arsenal will play Chelsea in Baku on May 29 after beating Valencia 4-2 (7-3 on aggregate)
Friday 10 May 2019 07:08, UK
Unai Emery insists Arsenal have had no success yet after reaching the Europa League final with a fine win in Valencia.
9Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit a superb hat-trick as Arsenal won 4-2 at the Mestalla (7-3 on aggregate), meaning they will face Chelsea in the final in Baku on May 29.
The victory would also give the Gunners Champions League football next season, with a top-four finish unlikely in the Premier League, but Emery is adamant that his side have achieved nothing yet in his first season at the club.
"It's not finished yet, there's no success yet, we have to play the final," said the Arsenal boss. "We are happy but we know that it continues to be difficult to win.
"We can be proud of the players, the work, the supporters here today with us. These two matches [Napoli in quarter-final and Valencia] were not easy and the mentality was perfect. We showed everyone today our character.
"We had good moments in the attacking third. Today we showed that we can do that."
Emery also recognised that Arsenal have performed poorly in the Premier League of late, and sees the Europa League as a fine opportunity to make up for that form.
He told BT Sport: "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."
Emery praised Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette for their fine performance in Valencia, and recognised their running as well as their clinical finishing.
"They are very, very good strikers. I am proud of them, how they worked defensively. Big players can be good strikers but when the commitment is like today, defensively also working to help us, it is amazing.
Goalkeeper Petr Cech, who is set to retire at the end of the season, will face his old club Chelsea, where he won 13 trophies in 11 years.
"The last dream was to play in this European final with Arsenal and the dream has come true now," he said. "Obviously the last step is to win it, because every final is there to win."
Aubameyang was the inspiration as Unai Emery reached his fourth Europa League final in five years.
Nick Wright rounds up the main talking points from their fine victory at Mestalla...
Speaking on The Debate, Ally McCoist says Unai Emery can afford to lose the Europa League final, but it's a different story for Maurizio Sarri.
"I think Emery, even if he loses the final, has seen a good improvement in Arsenal. He knows what he needs to do, strengthen defensively, and he'll get away with it.
"There has been more pressure on Sarri with one or two things not going his way. He could end up winning the Europa League and finishing third, and you'd have to say that's a fantastic season for Chelsea."
The Europa League final, the 10th in its current format and 48th overall of Europe's second-tier competition, will take place on May 29, 2019.
Kick-off is at 8pm (BST), 9pm (CEST). The Olympic Stadium in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, will host the final.
