Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang thought he was the GOAT — 10 minutes later he was the goat.
Arsenal’s No. 14 scored a breathtaking bicycle kick with seven minutes left in extra time to briefly give Arsenal the lead in its Europa League matchup with Olympiakos. But Youssef El Arabi equalized in the 119th minute and Aubameyang missed a sitter right in front of the goal as Arsenal went crashing out of Europe. Olympiakos advanced on away goals with a 2-1 win on Thursday after a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last week.
Arsenal labored for much of the match, failing to put the Greek side away despite fielding a strong lineup. With Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Nicolas Pépé and Mesut Özil all failing to help the Gunners score at home in regulation, the match headed to extra time thanks to a headed goal from Pape Abou Cissé in the 53rd minute.
In the 113th minute of extra time, Aubameyang struck an epic acrobatic kick, seemingly willing the Gunners into the Round of 16. The stunning hit came at just the right time for Arsenal, which had struggled offensively throughout more than 200 minutes against Olympiakos.
Aubameyang Goal vs Olympiakos
¡PERO QUÉ GOLAZO!
Aubameyang anota de chilena y está clasificando al Arsenal en los octavos de la #UEL @Arsenal (1) -(1) @olympiacosfc
#Arsenal I #Olympiacos I #UEL
EN VIVO https://t.co/NGIRQwVyKV pic.twitter.com/5fRuQSrgrR— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) February 27, 2020
But just as Arsenal fans were planning their return to the Champions League with a waltz through the Europa League — the Gunners lost to Chelsea in the final last year — El Arabi stunned the home fans at Emirates Stadium. Arriving late on a clever ball in from Giorgos Masouras, El Arabi became a Greek god with one touch of the ball.
¡De no creerse!
¡¡Olympiacos está eliminando al Arsenal en los últimos minutos del tiempo extra!!Arsenal (2) 1-2 (2) Olympiacos
EN VIVOhttps://t.co/NGIRQwVyKV pic.twitter.com/2WkAq8XuLr
— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) February 27, 2020
The goal gave Olympiakos the lead in the two-legged tie on away goals (feel free to argue here about whether away goals should count in extra time).
But the match wasn’t quite over. With the officials adding on two minutes of stoppage time, the Gunners had a chance to respond.
Up stepped Aubameyang, who moments earlier looked like Pelé.
Except the Gabonese striker instead did his best Chris Wondolowski impression.
Just like the American striker at the 2014 World Cup against Belgium in the Round of 16, Aubameyang could’ve been the hero.
Instead he became the villain.
Aubameyang Miss vs Olympiakos
Auba's miss in stoppage time pic.twitter.com/JXzUXAOQZd
— Bleacher Report Live (@brlive) February 27, 2020
And with that, Arsenal’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League by winning the Europa League were dashed. The Gunners now must hope Manchester City’s UCL ban is upheld while simultaneously surging up the table from ninth to at least fifth. While doable at a four-point differential, based on Thursday’s match it could be a while before the Gunners are back in Europe’s premier club competition.
(Side note: We understand that Chris Wondolowski should not be vilified for the rest of his career for having missed one shot. As the all-time leading scorer in MLS history, he should be recognized as one of the greatest strikers in U.S. history. But also, we couldn’t resist the comparison.)
