UEFA Europa League

The matchup for the UEFA Europa League final in Baku, Azerbaijan, will be set by Thursday night after the conclusion of each semifinal second leg. After the first legs, an all-English final is possible: Chelsea is even with Frankfurt but scored an away goal, while Arsenal handled business at home against Valencia. Both semifinal second legs will kick off at 3 p.m. ET Thursday on B/R Live.

Below are the scenarios and scores that each club needs in the second leg in order to advance to the Europa League final on May 29, information on how to watch the UEL semifinals, and highlights and match previews from both ties.

     

Semifinals Leg 2 Scenarios: Scores needed to advance

Valencia (1) vs. Arsenal (3)

Arsenal is certainly in a comfortable position heading into the second leg, but Valencia's away goal provides some hope as the tie shifts to the legendary Mestalla, where the Spanish side has won eight Europa League matches in a row. The team with the highest aggregate score over both legs will advance to the final, with the first tiebreaker being away goals scored.

Valencia hitting the back of the net as visitors in the first leg means that a 2-0 win at home sends them through to the final. If Valencia leads 3-1 after regulation and stoppage time, the match will go into extra time, where the away goals rule will remain in effect.

If the aggregate is 4-4 heading into extra time and each team scores in extra time, the match would not go to penalties. Instead, Arsenal would win by virtue of scoring two away goals. Thursday's match will only go to penalties if both the aggregate score and away goals scored are even. Here is how each scoreline would determine which club reaches the final:

Just as Valencia can bring confidence from its away goal in the first leg, the Gunners will know that one goal of their own in Spain will shift pressure significantly onto Valencia, and a second would almost surely seal the tie. Arsenal scoring twice in regular time will eliminate the possibility of extra time and force Valencia to score five goals in 90 minutes.

      

Chelsea (1) vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (1)

Chelsea recorded a solid first-leg result at a tough place to play in Germany, but it's sure to be an intense second 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge. Given the scoreline is all square heading to London, the winner of the second leg wins the tie and goes to the final.

Chelsea's away-goal advantage comes into play only in the case of a scoreless draw, in which case it would go through. A 1-1 draw sends the match to extra time, where a second Eintracht Frankfurt away goal would require the Blues to answer with two.

The match would not go to extra time if Eintracht scores twice in normal time, and any draw of 2-2 or higher sends the German club into the final. Of note, Frankfurt has scored in 14 straight away matches in European play.

       

Semifinals Leg 2: How to watch, stream

You can watch both Europa League semifinal second legs Thursday by streaming the matches on B/R Live. Kickoff for each game is at 3 p.m. ET, and coverage will begin with B/R Football Matchday at 2:30 p.m. on B/R Live.

Watch Valencia vs. Arsenal on B/R Live

Watch Chelsea vs. Eintracht Frankfurt on B/R Live

        

Semifinals Leg 2 Preview and Leg 1 Highlights

Valencia vs. Arsenal

Arsenal manager Unai Emery spent four seasons as the head man at Valencia from 2008-12, reaching the Europa semifinal in his final season. Arsenal has never won the Europa League, while Valencia triumphed in 2004.

After Valencia scored first in the first leg, Arsenal controlled the match through Alexandre Lacazette, whose two goals before halftime provided the lead.

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1124112356760485894

Keep your eyes on Lacazette in the second leg, as his European form is very high, having also scored a sublime free kick in the quarterfinal win over Napoli. For Valencia, it's all about sharing the wealth: Its last six goals have come from six different players. 

      

Chelsea vs. Eintracht Frankfurt

The second semifinal features the two strongest Europa League teams this season. In 13 matches, Chelsea hasn't lost, winning 11 and drawing twice; Eintracht has only one loss and in the knockout stage leading up to the semifinals. Frankfurt faced three consecutive clubs that had transferred from this season's Champions League and eliminated all of them.

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1124063514442838035

The second leg has the makings of a shootout given the firepower in each lineup. Chelsea's Olivier Giroud leads the Europa League with 10 goals, and right behind him with nine is Eintracht's Luka Jovic. Pedro is also heating up for the Blues, having scored three times in their last two Europa matches.

Chelsea has won nine Europa League matches in a row at home, and the first-leg draw was set a Europa League record for 16 matches unbeaten in a row. The 2013 Europa League winners have also never lost at home to a Bundesliga side.

Arsenal and Valencia are looking into footage of away fans making Nazi salutes and other racist gestures to home supporters during the UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday. 

The Gunners won the match 3-1 thanks to goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Footage emerged afterward on social media channels, including Twitter, of fans in the away end making the gestures toward the Arsenal section:

Pretty sure, @valenciacf will find out who these guys are. Won't you???

And I hope the club does the right thing.

Embarrassing. Disgusting. But I am not fully surprised. There is still so much to learn https://t.co/y62GODuT8E

— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) May 3, 2019

Arsenal confirmed (h/t Matt Maltby of the Daily Mirror) the club's co-operation with Valencia to work toward identifying those responsible: "We are working with Valencia on this. We utterly condemn such behaviour. It has no place in society or football. We continue to encourage fans to report incidents and to provide witness statements so effective action can be taken."

Valencia's response involved releasing a statement on the club's official website detailing "utter disgust and absolute intolerance" toward the behaviour. Los Che also said legal action is being readied against those involved.

Significantly, Valencia did outline the intention to find out if the fans involved in the racial abuse were provoked before making the gestures: "VCF is also working to obtain more information about any possible provocations leading up to the verbal and gesticular exchange between the home and away stands."

The latter part of the statement has left some unimpressed:

It's breathtaking. Valencia are literally, via an official statement, asking fans who were there to tell them if the Arsenal fans provoked the minority of idiots into making Nazi salutes and monkey gestures. pic.twitter.com/YUKDvBKGAB

— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) May 3, 2019

Some discipline was meted out during the match, with Maltby noting how six away supporters were ejected, although the reasons why are unknown. Maltby reported it's not known whether those in the footage were among the travelling fans removed from Arsenal's north London home.

Ending outbursts of racial abuse has become an increasing challenge for football's governing bodies this season. This latest incident only adds to the problem.

Last month, Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian relayed information from Kick It Out, the group responsible for promoting anti-discrimination within the sport. The information was compiled back in November, and revealed complaints about racial and homophobic abuse had increased, offering a reminder of the work football still needs to do.

Arsenal and Chelsea boosted their odds of winning the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, with the Gunners beating Valencia 3-1 and the Blues earning a 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt in the first legs of the semi-finals. 

The Gunners overcame an early deficit to put three goals past a disappointing Neto, while Chelsea bagged a crucial away goal in Germany, handing them the edge for the second leg.

According to Bet365 (h/t Oddschecker), the Blues are now 10-11 favourites to win the Europa League, while Arsenal come in at 2-1. Valencia are 6-1, and Frankfurt are down to 12-1.

The Gunners' efforts to keep a clean sheet came undone after just 11 minutes when some horrendous defending gave Mouctar Diakhaby the chance to head home from close range.

Fortunately for the hosts, Valencia were unable to press their advantage. A quick double from Alexandre Lacazette had Arsenal ahead after just 26 minutes, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added to the lead in the second half.

Spanish football writer Sid Lowe thought Valencia stopper Neto didn't look good on any of the goals:

Would it be unfair to wonder about Neto tonight and maybe even on all three goals?

— Sid Lowe (@sidlowe) May 2, 2019

Arsenal desperately needed a positive result after three straight defeats in the Premier League, against Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton and Leicester. While their bid to finish in the top four isn't dead yet―they trail Chelsea by two points with two matches still to play―the Europa League appears the most straight-forward path to next year's UEFA Champions League at this point.

Per BT Sport, it was no coincidence Lacazette and Aubameyang came through for the Gunners:

Where would Arsenal be without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette?!

43 goals between them this season 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/4yDgcVCMsc

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 2, 2019

The two-goal advantage is huge against a slumping Valencia side, who have now lost their last three matches across all competitions. Their last home match in the Europa League was a 2-0 win over Villarreal, and only Krasnodar has managed to score at the Estadio Mestalla in the competition this season.

Chelsea also fell behind on Thursday, as Luka Jovic gave Frankfurt the lead with a great header, but Pedro equalised just before half-time. Neither side was able to convert one of their many chances after the break, with the better looks falling to the Blues.

While the away goal is a major advantage for Chelsea, sportswriter Ronan Murphy noted the return of Ante Rebic in the second leg will be a big boost for Eintracht:

Despite the away goal, 1-1 is a good result for Frankfurt as they'll have Rebic back for the second leg and might be able to reunite what @JanAageFjortoft calls the "Tres Amigos." They can easily score multiple goals in London. #SGECHE #SGEuropa

— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) May 2, 2019

Eintracht struggled to impose their will on the visitors, however, especially after Eden Hazard came on. If Chelsea can control the ball this well on the road, they should be able to do the same at home.

Frankfurt's scoring potential on the road is no joke: The Germans have scored at least once in every away match they've played in the Europa League this season, and that includes difficult trips to Benfica, Inter Milan, Marseille, Lazio Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Arsenal gained a vital advantage in the semi-final of the UEFA Europa League after a 3-1 first-leg victory over Valencia on Thursday.

Valencia took a shock lead as Mouctar Diakhaby headed the opener after only 11 minutes, and the Arsenal defence was floundering from the first exchanges.

However, the Gunners went on the front foot, and two goals in seven minutes from Alexandre Lacazette gave Unai Emery's team the lead before half-time.

The Spaniards continued to cause the home side issues in the second half, but it was left to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to volley home in the final minute to complete victory.

                    

Arsenal's Defence Will Cost Them The Trophy

Unai Emery has a problem in his squad and progress will not happen until he solves his defensive conundrum.

Valencia are a side who possess little threat, scoring only 40 La Liga goals this term, but they overran the Gunners' back line in the opening stages.

Laurent Koscielny remains the team's best defender but his supporting cast produces more comedy than quality.

The selection of Petr Cech is also questionable, and a lack of communication was present as the visitors claimed the opener.

Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos provided no protection as Ezequiel Garay missed a tap in from close range after eight minutes.

Valencia's goal came as Arsenal failed to defend a straightforward header across the six-yard box, allowing Mouctar Diakhaby to nod home as the Gunners stood like statues under the ball.

The hosts struck back through a quick-fire brace from Lacazette before half-time, but it was the Spaniards who came out of the blocks after the restart.

The London Evening Standard's Vaishali Bhardwaj highlighted the Gunners' strengths and weaknesses:

Arsenal's defence continues to let them down but, at least tonight, their attack appears on point. Lacazette, in particular, has been clinical to score the goals that has turned the game around. But you feel #AFC will need more because of how dangerous Valencia look on the break.

— Vai Bhardwaj (@VaiBhardwaj) May 2, 2019

Koscielny stood firm but appeared to be struggling with a knock, and Valencia turned the screw as Ainsley Maitland-Niles appeared uncomfortable on the ball when in a defensive position.

Arsenal's best form of defence is attack, and Matteo Guendouzi entered the battle to add more verve.

The nerves were apparent from the muted atmosphere generated by the north London crowd. Emery was animated as he screamed at his players from the technical area.

Lacazette could have scored his hat-trick after the hour mark, but the France international held his head in his hands as he spurned his opportunity.

The away team almost scored a second as Kevin Gameiro beat Koscielny for pace after 72 minutes, but failed to find a finish to slot the ball past Cech.

Aubameyang's late goal made the scoreline more conclusive than it could have been, and Valencia will be frustrated to have conceded a third after a good performance.

It is no surprise Arsenal have lost 10 Premier League games this season. Emery must revamp the core of his defence and add tactical awareness to his midfield in the summer.

The Gunners still possess a number of excellent attacking players but might fail to win this trophy due to their inadequate options at the back.

                       

What's Next

The second leg of the Europa League semi-final takes place on Thursday, May 9 in Spain. Both teams are set to feature on Sunday, with Arsenal hosting Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League and Valencia travelling to SD Huesca in La Liga.

Chelsea and Eintracht Frankfurt played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final on Thursday, leaving everything to play for when they meet again in west London.

Luka Jovic opened the scoring after 23 minutes with an excellent header (U.S. viewers only):

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1124033228988461056

Pedro hit back shortly before half-time after some great work from Ruben Loftus-Cheek (U.S. viewers only):

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1124037925216321538

Chelsea dominated the second half and had plenty of chances to find a winner, but goalkeeper Kevin Trapp denied Eden Hazard and Co. on several occasions.

The two teams are battling it out for a spot in the final, where they'll meet the winner of the tie between Arsenal and Valencia.

   

Chelsea Need to Move on From Christensen

Thursday's outing marked the fifth straight match in which Andreas Christensen has featured for the Blues and the team has failed to keep a clean sheet.

The 23-year-old got booked after a needless lunge just 19 minutes into the contest, forcing him to play with the handbrake on the rest of the way. He was caught out of position for Jovic's goal and generally struggled throughout the contest.

With just five starts in the Premier League so far this season, it's clear Christensen is not a favourite of manager Maurizio Sarri. The limited opportunities haven't aided his progression, which has halted since he returned to the club from his impressive two-year loan spell with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Christensen needs a fresh start, and Chelsea have to accept things haven't worked out with the talent. They're likely to add to their defensive depth in the summer if their transfer ban doesn't get in the way, and the current uncertainty has left their plans in limbo, per Simon Johnson the London Evening Standard.

But even if they can't go outside the organisation to find new starters or depth, the Blues would be better of bringing back Kurt Zouma from Everton. The 24-year-old has earned another look with his performances on the pitch, whereas Christensen hasn't been able to do so this season.

   

Jovic Must Resist Lure of Top Transfer

Frankfurt striker Jovic is one of the most coveted young forwards in the sport today, and he entered Thursday's clash with one of the best resumes in Europe this season:

Luka Jović has scored 25 goals across all competitions this season.

💥 14 x right foot
💥 8 x left foot
💥 3 x head

Eintracht Frankfurt's #WarMachine is ready to do some damage. pic.twitter.com/bWCKpWlcsX

— Squawka (@Squawka) May 2, 2019

The former Red Star and Benfica man reminded everyone of his incredible talent with his goal, which came after some clever movement and a strong header.

He's been linked with both of La Liga's top clubs this season, and Frankfurt sporting director Fredi Bobic recently admitted a switch to Real Madrid is a possibility, per ZDF (h/t Goal's Sacha Pisani).

His father has commented on the persistent links with Barcelona, telling Bild (h/t Ronan Murphy) the Serb wants to stay in Frankfurt for now:

Luka Jovic's father wants him to stay at Eintracht Frankfurt, telling Bild: "Luka has enquiries. The ones from Barcelona are there. But he has no interest. He doesn't know if he can play football there. He wants to be in the Champions League with Eintracht and stay in Frankfurt."

— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) April 11, 2019

He should. Jovic may have become a household name this season, but scouts have known about the youngster for a long time. While he's still just 21 years old, he has already enjoyed quite the journey in his career, making his professional debut back in 2014.

In the same year, the Guardian featured Jovic in their Next Generation list, compiling the top talents in the sport. His future looked bright, but his move to Benfica turned out to be a massive mistake. Between his arrival in Portugal in 2016 and his move to Frankfurt a year and a half later, he barely played senior football.

Jovic is now back on track and rapidly progressing. He should resist the urge to move to a top club at this stage and opt for at least one more season in Frankfurt, where he can keep growing as part of an exciting, attacking squad.

Those top clubs will still be waiting for his services in a year or two. Even if they miss out on Champions League football, Eintracht is the perfect club for Jovic right now.

   

What's Next?

Chelsea will host Watford on Sunday, while Frankfurt visit Bayer Leverkusen on the same day. The two sides will rematch next Thursday in London.

Eintracht Frankfurt manager Adi Hutter has warned of the threat posed by Chelsea's Eden Hazard in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals and said his side will need to "double up" on the Belgian to nullify him.

The German team host Chelsea in the first leg of their last-four clash on Thursday, and Eintracht will likely need to take a lead into the second leg at Stamford Bridge if they are to make it to the final.

Not conceding an away goal could also be crucial, and Hazard will be Chelsea's biggest threat in that respect.

He has returned 16 goals and 13 assists in the Premier League this season, his best combined tally since moving to Chelsea in 2012.

Hazard's Premier League ranking for combined goals and assists:

2012/13 – 11th (20 total)
2013/14 – 10th (21)
2014/15 – 6th (23)
2015/16 – 75th (7)
2016/17 – 11th (21)
2017/18 – 22nd (16)
2018/19* – 1st (27*)

Upping it.

— Huw Davies (@thehuwdavies) April 8, 2019

Speaking ahead of Thursday's clash, Hutter acknowledged how dangerous Hazard is, per Nick Purewal of the Press Association (h/t MailOnline):

"He is one of the best players in the world, who other big clubs want to have. In duels he is great, very dynamic. You have to double up on him and you have to try to take him out of the game. With his qualities he is one of the top three in the world."

The concern for Frankfurt is that if they put two defenders on Hazard, that will leave more room for Chelsea's other attackers.

Hutter admitted Chelsea are favourites in the tie and said: "Chelsea are a UEFA Champions League team, with David Luiz, Gonzalo Higuain, Cesar Azpilicueta. It is a pure Champions League team."

But perhaps the biggest threat outside Hazard will be Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman has been starved of game time in the Premier League this season by manager Maurizio Sarri.

But in the Europa League, he has been superb:

11 games 🔵
10 goals ⚽

Olivier Giroud has been flying in the #UEL this season! #CHESLA pic.twitter.com/YsVLYvODOv

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 18, 2019

As well as the opportunity to win a major trophy, the Europa League offers both Chelsea and Eintracht a route into next season's Champions League.

Neither may need it, as they both sit fourth in their respective domestic leagues.

But the margins are slim in the Premier League and Bundesliga, and neither Chelsea nor Frankfurt can afford to lose focus in the Europa League.

Aaron Ramsey will not recover in time from his hamstring injury to be available for the remainder of Arsenal's season, ending his career with the club ahead of his summer move to Juventus.

Arsenal head coach Unai Emery told reporters the diagnosis on Ramsey ahead of the club's UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg against Valencia at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday.

Earlier Wednesday, Arsenal confirmed Ramsey "continues to receive treatment" on his left hamstring. 

Ramsey, 28, picked up his latest injury against Napoli in the Europa League quarter-final second leg on April 18.

He had to be subbed off after 34 minutes as Arsenal won 1-0 at the Stadio San Paolo to advance with a 3-0 aggregate win over the Italians.

With Ramsey on the treatment table, Arsenal have subsequently lost three games in a row against Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City.

As a result, their chances of finishing the season in the Premier League's top four have been severely damaged, so the Europa League is likely Arsenal's best chance of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season:

The best #MondayMotivation 🙌#PL pic.twitter.com/spsSBrKkv8

— Premier League (@premierleague) April 29, 2019

Emery is a Europa League specialist, having won the tournament three times with Sevilla.

His Gunners side should have enough quality to make the final, and having home advantage in the first leg should give Arsenal a chance to take the initiative in the tie.

However, there has to be an improvement from their last three performances; otherwise, Arsenal will be in danger of suffering a disastrous end to what has largely been a positive debut season for Emery.

Ramsey's return would have been a major boost. He is arguably Arsenal's most important midfielder, and they are more successful when he is in the side:

Arsenal’s record in all competitions since January 25:
With Ramsey starting: P8, W7, D1, L0
Without Ramsey starting: P10, W4, D0, L6.

— James Olley (@JamesOlley) April 25, 2019

It also would have given the Emirates faithful a chance to give him a proper send-off after more than a decade at the club, something he has been denied because of his injury.

The 2019 UEFA Europa League reaches the semi-final stage on Thursday, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Valencia and Eintracht Frankfurt remaining.

Arsenal will host Valencia in the first leg in London, and Chelsea will travel to Frankfurt in the last four of the competition.

The Premier League sides are favourites to progress to final, which will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, on May 29.

               

Date: Thursday, May 2

Time: 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET

TV: Arsenal vs. Valencia (BT Sport 2), Frankfurt vs. Chelsea (BT Sport 3)

Stream: BT Sport App (UK), B/R Live (U.S.)

Odds: Arsenal 21-20, Valencia 16-5, draw 13-5/Frankfurt 13-17, Chelsea 17-10, draw 27-11

(Odds via Oddschecker)

                     

Arsenal vs. Valencia

The Gunners' erratic form in the Premier League has been accompanied by fine displays in Europe's second-tier competition. Arsenal come into the game on the back of three consecutive Premier League defeats, with 1-0 win in their quarter-final second leg against Napoli the last time they tasted victory.

Their best chance of qualifying for next term's UEFA Champions League appears to be winning the Europa League, with Chelsea holding fourth in England's top flight by two points with only two games to play.

A slip from the Blues could open the door for Unai Emery's men, but glory in Europe would ensure they would take a spot in next season's Champions League. 

Inconsistent Valencia are also coming off a pair of league defeats to Atletico Madrid and Eibar, which have damaged their chase for European qualification for next season. They sit sixth in La Liga, three points off fourth-placed Getafe with three games to play.

A trip to north London will be met with trepidation by the visitors. Arsenal have been supreme at home in the latter stages of the competition, conceding no goals in three games and winning them by a combined score of 8-0.

However, they have conceded three goals in each of their last three Premier League games, against Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City.

Emery is well versed in the competition's latter stages, though, winning the trophy three times with Sevilla. He also possesses good knowledge about Los Che after managing them between 2008 and 2012.

Prediction: Arsenal win 3-1

                        

Frankfurt vs. Chelsea

Maurizio Sarri's first year at Chelsea has been complicated. 

Chelsea have appeared lacklustre at times after an impressive start, and like Arsenal, the Europa League has offered salvation.

The Blues have won 11 of their 12 games in the tournament, and Frankfurt are likely to need a win in the first leg if they want to progress.

The German side are on course for Champions League qualification in the Bundesliga, sitting three points above the chasing pack with three games remaining.

One win from four league games in April has made life more difficult, but they had to juggle a tough quarter-final tie against Benfica—advancing on away goals with the tie 4-4 on aggregate—between those games.

Chelsea are undefeated in Europe this season, and Frankfurt will have to cause a mighty shock to reach the final.

Prediction: Chelsea win 1-0

Arsenal welcome Valencia to the Emirates Stadium on Thursday for the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final.

The Gunners head into the game having lost their last three matches in the Premier League, and the defeats have left them two points outside the UEFA Champions League places with two games to play.

Victory in the UEFA Europa League looks to be their best chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League, but they will have to get past La Liga opposition first.

Valencia are in a similar position to Arsenal in their league campaign. Marcelino's men are sixth, three points off fourth place, and have tasted defeat in their last two outings.

     

Date: Thursday, May 2

Time: 8 p.m. BST, 3 p.m. ET

TV Info: BT Sport 2 (UK), UniMas (U.S.)

Live Stream: BT Sport Live (UK), B/R Live (U.S.)

Match Odds (via Oddschecker): Arsenal 10-11, Draw 13-5, Valencia 14-5

    

Match Preview

Emery knows exactly what it takes to win the Europa League, as he lifted the trophy three times during his time in charge of Sevilla.

The 47-year-old says his team have "big ambition and motivation" ahead of the game against Valencia, per Nick Mashiter at Press Association Sport (h/t MailOnline).

Arsenal will need to improve if they are to snap out of their poor form. However, they can take confidence from their home record in the competition:

Arsenal 🆚 Valencia

🔴 The Gunners are unbeaten in their last 9 home #UEL games

Will that run continue on Thursday? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/qgGqGKmx7R

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) April 30, 2019

The Gunners won five and drew one of their six group games, and they have gone on to beat BATE Borisov, Rennes and Napoli in the knockout stages.

Emery does have some injury problems for Thursday's match. He will be without Aaron Ramsey because of a hamstring injury, but Mesut Ozil and Nacho Monreal are expected to be fit, per Phil Spencer and Tashan Deniran-Alleyne at Football.London.

Arsenal's hopes of progressing may lie with forwards Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, although neither player is in prolific form.

Lacazette has one goal in his last six games and just two in the tournament this season, while Aubameyang has two in seven. 

Valencia will be without former Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin for the first leg through suspension. However, ex-Gunner Gabriel Paulista is available to face his old team.

The Brazilian has said he is "sure that we are going to score" against Arsenal in an interview with Spanish television's El Tercer Tiempo programme (h/t Valencia's official website).

Marcelino's side have shrugged off a slow start to finish the season strongly. Los Che had been beaten just once in 22 games before suffering defeats to Atletico Madrid and Eibar in their last two outings.

Captain Dani Parejo will look to take charge at the Emirates and has been in good form:

Dani Parejo’s first half vs. Atletico Madrid by numbers:

90% pass accuracy
3 successful take-ons
2 fouls suffered
1 interception
1 tackle won

So underrated. 🇪🇸🎯 pic.twitter.com/2vLkDzJ9Yt

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) April 24, 2019

Valencia also possess a mean defence. Only Atletico have conceded fewer goals than Los Che in the Spanish top flight this season.

They are also in their centenary year and will be hopeful of ending the season on a high by adding to their rich history in European competition:

100 - Today 100 years ago Valencia were founded; they are only #LaLiga team to have reached to the final of each one of the all European's competition: European Cup/#UCL, Uefa Cup/#UEL, Inter-cities Fairs Cup, Cup Winners' Cup & UEFA Super Cup. Congratulations #AmuntValencia pic.twitter.com/jTk01nW3xs

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) March 18, 2019

Arsenal have lost 10 of 24 away games in all competitions this season and will want a good result to take to Spain for the return leg.

However, the Gunners will need to rediscover the sort of form they showed against to beat Napoli 2-0 in the first leg of the last round if they are to avoid a semi-final exit for the second year in a row.

Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt welcome Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea to the Commerzbank-Arena in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final on Thursday.

The Blues are chasing their first win in the competition since lifting the trophy in 2013, while the game represents Frankfurt's first European semi-final since they won the UEFA Cup in 1980.

Chelsea are favourites to win the match and take a lead back to Stamford Bridge for the second leg, but the German side will provide a stiff test and have already knocked out Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan and Benfica.

      

Date: Thursday, May 2

Time: 8 p.m. BST, 3 p.m. ET

TV Info: BT Sport 3 (UK), Univision Deportes (U.S.)

Live Stream: BT Sport Live (UK), B/R Live (U.S.)

Match Odds (via Oddschecker): Frankfurt 7-4, Chelsea 6-4, draw 23-10

   

Preview

Chelsea have been dealt a blow ahead of the match, as they have announced key defender Antonio Rudiger has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery.

Andreas Christensen is expected to come into the side and partner David Luiz at the heart of the defence. The Denmark international has only made five Premier league starts this season, but he has been a regular in the competition for Sarri.

Elsewhere, Willian is expected to be fit despite being forced off during Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw against Manchester United after a heavy challenge from Marcos Rojo:

Asked Sarri about injuries too.

- Rudiger most serious
- Willian is okay#CFC #MUNCHE pic.twitter.com/qB9sEZmpJg

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) April 28, 2019

Sunday's result means Chelsea are in the top four of the Premier League with two games left to play and keeps their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League on track.

However, they will also earn a place in Europe's top competition with victory in the Europa League, making this a key game for Sarri's side.

The Blues will need to put in an improved showing from their quarter-final win over Slavia Prague if they are to progress to a final against either Arsenal or Valencia.

The Premier League side led 5-1 on aggregate in the second leg, but a sloppy second-half showing saw Petr Sevcik score twice to set up a tense finish.

Eintracht Frankfurt should present more of a challenge and are likely to offer the Londoners a warm reception.

Reporter Archie Rhind-Tutt shared footage of the atmosphere in the ground after their win over Benfica in the quarter-finals:

Eintracht Frankfurt’s tale - from relegation playoff in 2016 to cup final in 2017 to cup winners in 2018 to European semi-final in 2019 - is as good a story as Spurs and Ajax’s European runs this season...

Scrap that. It’s better. 😁 pic.twitter.com/LVGjKJ6Go5

— Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) April 19, 2019

Adi Hutter's side have an excellent record in the competition and have demonstrated their fighting spirit, winning all six games in the group stage and coming through their quarter-final on away goals despite losing the first leg 4-2 to Benfica.

They will have to cope without the suspended Ante Rebic and the injured Sebastien Haller, but Luka Jovic is a prolific attacker who can cause problems:

🦅 Luka Jović this season = 🔥🔥🔥

⚽️0⃣8⃣
👕1⃣2⃣#UEL | @eintracht_eng pic.twitter.com/7oRjRyMK2K

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) April 29, 2019

Jovic has scored 25 goals in 43 games this season, including a record of eight from 12 in the Europa League, and his form has seen him linked with Spanish giants Real Madrid, according to Goal's Alberto Pinero. 

Frankfurt have enjoyed a fine season under Hutter. They lie fourth in the Bundesliga table and could qualify for next season's Champions League through their league position.

However, the Bundesliga outfit will be keen to win the Europa League for the first time, and Chelsea will have to be at their best if they are to take a favourable result back to London.