Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the superhero as Arsenal sealed a place in the Europa League’s quarter-finals on Thursday night.
The Gabon striker struck twice and set up Ainsley Maitland-Niles in a Man of the Match display to demolish Rennes 3-0.
Trailing 3-1 from the first leg, Unai Emery’s side completed a stunning comeback to win the last 16 round on a 4-3 aggregate.
After netting his second with 18 minutes left, Aubameyang grabbed a Black Panther mask from behind the visitors’ goal to celebrate with his team-mates.
The 29-year-old narrowly missed two big chances to land his hat-trick in the final ten minutes.
“I needed a mask who represents me. It’s Black Panther and in Gabon we call the national team the Panther of Gabon, so it represents me,’ said Aubameyang, who has celebrated goals wearing Spiderman and Batman masks at previous clubs.
“I missed two chances to close the game but the most important thing is that we won and everybody is happy and proud.
“Rennes were a bit nervous and angry as well but that’s football sometimes and it can happen like that.’ Maitland-Niles, whose goal was his first in European football, believes Arsenal are proving their Champions League credentials.
“We are just showing that we can do it (qualify for Champions League),” added the former African Football of the Year.
His goals were his 21st and 22nd of the season. They also continued his bid to make it to this season’s final in Baku after he was denied the chance to play for Arsenal in last year’s competition because he’d joined mid-season from Dortmund.
Rennes’ best chance of the night came when Petr Cech pushed M’baye Niang’s shot onto the post shortly after half time.
