LONDON/VALENCIA: The Europa League final will also be an all-England affair after Arsenal and Chelsea saw off the semi-final challenges of Valencia and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively.

Arsenal won 4-2 in Spain after conceding an early goal to progress 7-3 overall to the final in Baku, Azerbaijan, but Chelsea needed a penalty shootout after being held 1-1 by the Germans to wrap up the tie at a 2-2 aggregate. The decisive penalty was rapped home by Eden Hazard with what may prove to have been his last kick at Stamford Bridge if he is off this summer, as speculation suggests, to Real Madrid.

Chelsea’s other hero was Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Spanish goalkeeper made amends for his controversial tantrum when Chelsea lost the League Cup Final to Manchester City on penalties. Frankfurt were leading 2-1 in the shootout when he saved from Martin Hinteregger and Goncalo Pacienca. That allowed Hazard to send Chelsea to Azerbaijan.

This is the first time that both major European finals have been contested by four clubs from the same country after Liverpool and Tottenham, earlier this week, reached the showdown of the Champions League.

Chelsea took the lead just before the half-hour mark thanks to Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s 10th goal of the season on a Hazard assist. That edged the Blues 2-1 ahead on aggregate after last week’s 1-1 draw in Germany.

However Frankfurt wasted little time levelling at 1-1 through Jovic on an assist through the centre from Mijat Gacinovic four minutes into the second half.

Twice Chelsea scrambled the ball off the goal-line while skipper Cesar Azpilicueta waa denied a goal for a foul on keeper Kevin Trapp. Hence Chelsea’s fifth shootout in European competition but only their second success.

Their previous triumph on penalties was also against German opposition – Bayern in Munich in the 2012 Champions League Final.

Gunners power on

In Spain Arsenal recovered from a sleepy start to see off Valencia 3-2 on the night, 6-3 overall.

The Gunners were rocked by an early Valencia goal from Kevin Gameiro, but their nerves were settled by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who latched onto a flick from Alexandre Lacazette to volley home.

That took some of the sting out of the home crowd but Valencia still had the bulk of the chances until Lacazette looked to have made the tie safe on 50 minutes when putting Arsenal 5-2 ahead.

Gameiro’s second just before the hour still managed to ruffle a few Arsenal feathers despite the visitors still leading 5-3 on aggregate, but any lingering doubts were put to bed when Aubameyang added a third 20 minutes from time after fine work on the right by Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

Aubameyang completed his hat-trick a minute before time to wrap up an emphatic 7-3 aggregate success.

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