In one of the All English European Finals held at Baku yesterday, Chelsea overcame Arsenal by a rather huge margin. Two goals from Eden Hazard, with Giroud and Pedro also getting on the scoresheet, ensured the Blues claimed the trophy as they clinched their fifth European trophy.
Olivier Giroud broke the deadlock after a dull first half, scoring against his former club with a brilliant header. Pedro scored the second and Hazard made no mistake from the spot after Giroud was fouled in what became a one-sided half. Arsenal substitute, Alex Iwobi scored a beautiful goal to give Arsenal some hope but it was rather just a consolation as Madrid-bound Eden Hazard drove a nice finish past Petr Cech to complete the rout.
With the victory, Chelsea claim another European title to the bag while Arsenal still wait on a first trophy. Check out some things to note after the European Final yesterday.
1. No Champions League Football for Arsenal Next Season... Man United fans will be happy.
This was one of the main highlight of the match as Arsenal failed to seal qualification with a win in the final. Arsenal, being fifth in the League, needed a win to qualify for the Champions League after a bitter sweet first season for Unai Emery at the Club. That means Arsenal will join Manchester United and Wolves for another season in the Europa.
2. Sarri wins first ever trophy
Chelsea coach, Maurizio Sarri, won has first ever trophy in the final yesterday. Previous stints at Empoli and most recently Napoli all ended without a trophy but that changed yesterday as he won his first ever trophy. And what a way to win it, in the Europa League Final. The win ensures he has a successful end to his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.
3. Cech retires... on a sad note
Most of the pre-match talk was all about Cech signing out on a good note with a win in the final against his former club. He conceded four goals and that made sure he didn't end his career on a winning note. He now retires after 494 appearances for Chelsea and 139 for Arsenal.
4. Hazard is ready for a new Challenge..... and Chelsea will miss him
In his words after the final, he said it was going to be a goodbye. That would mean he ends his 7 year stay at the Stamford bridge. He scored twice in a man of the match display which could be his last match in the Chelsea shirt meaning he's leaving on a brilliant note.
Real Madrid is the expected destination for Hazard where he'll be hoping to win more trophies and boost his chances of winning the Balon d' Or. His departure means Chelsea needs to find a replacement but it is almost sure that they will definitely miss him.
5. Sarriball conquers.... and even with Emery, Arsenal are still Arsenal.
Even with the Europa League Specialist at the helm, Arsenal seem to still be the same Arsenal. They play well and prior to a big match or a final, they just bottle it. Arsenal had a very interesting Europa League campaign, having to comeback in second leg clashes at the Emirates and beating one of the favorites, Napoli, coached by Carlo Ancelotti.
This would've made many believe that Arsenal were on the verge of a first European trophy but they were stopped by a beautiful piece of football from Chelsea. We all saw a wonderful display of the Sarriball by Chelsea with sleek passes, creating spaces and all, which was obviously too much for Arsenal to handle. Sarri can now laugh at critics of his wonderful style of play.
For Arsenal, it's back to the drawing board to plan for a new season. Hopefully, they will win.
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