Chelsea produced a superb performance last night during the Europa League final as they thrashed Arsenal 4-1 at the Baku stadium.
Eden Hazard scored twice in potentially his final game for the blues to give Chelsea coach, Sarri his first silverware at the club and end the Gunners’ hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Aubameyang spurned the best chance for Arsenal in a low-key first-half, driving a shot wide from inside the box after a poor punch at the near post from Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Arsenal also had a penalty appeal turned away by the Video Assistant Referee when Alexandre Lacazette appeared to be taken down by Arrizabalaga after prodding the ball past the goalkeeper.
With Chelsea struggling to build any momentum, Granit Xhaka clipped the top of the bar with a powerful strike from 20 yards out.
However, Chelsea improved in the latter stages of the first half as Emerson Palmieri forced Petr Cech – playing his final game before likely becoming Chelsea’s sporting director – to push away a shot in the 34th minute and Giroud then forced Cech into an excellent one-handed save when he shot towards the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
It was Giroud who broke the deadlock after half-time when he expertly headed in from Emerson’s cross to score his 11th goal in this season’s Europa League – the most in the competition.
Chelsea then seized control of the game with two goals in quick succession.
Pedro scored a second on the hour mark when he swept in from Hazard’s cross before Giroud was barged in the back by Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the box and Hazard converted the penalty.
Substitute Alex Iwobi pulled a goal back with a superb strike from outside the box in the 69th minute, only for Giroud to set up Hazard to restore the three-goal lead shortly afterwards. Cech saved from Hazard and substitute Willian, before Arrizabalaga denied Lacazette at the other end and then Joe Willock curled wide from an excellent position as any slim hopes of an Arsenal comeback faded away.
Samson Oyedeyi
