With a superb second-half Chelsea defeat Arsenal in Baku and win the Europa League.
After a goalless first-half, an Olivier Giroud‘s header broke the lock in the first minutes of the second-half.
Pedro and a penalty by Eden Hazard put the Blues 3 up, before Iwobi scored for Arsenal. In the end, Hazard scored the second goal of the night with Chelsea winning the match 4-1.
The Blues so win their second Europa League after the 2013’s one after the final vs Benfica.
Chelsea will try to finish their season winning a trophy in tonight’s Europa League final vs Arsenal in Baku.
Here are the confirmed lineups:
Chelsea: Kepa; Azpilicueta (c), Christensen, David Luiz, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic; Pedro, Giroud, Hazard.
Subs: Caballero, Cumming, Zappacosta, Cahill, Alonso, Ampadu, Barkley, McEachran, Gallagher, Willian, Higuain.
Arsenal: Cech; Koscielny, Papastathopoulos, Monreal; Maitland-Niles, Xhaka, Torreira, Kolasinac; Ozil; Aubameyang, Lacazette.
Subs: Leno, Lichtsteiner, Mustafi, Jenkinson, Elneny, Guendouzi, Willock, Saka, Amaechi, Iwobi, Nketiah, Welbeck
According to the latest reports N’Golo Kante has not recovered from his injury and he won’t be included in Chelsea‘s starting XI.
For Arsenal, former Blues goalkeeper Petr Cech seems favourite over Bernd Leno.
Here are the predicted lineups:
Chelsea: Kepa, Azpilicueta, Christensen, David Luiz, Emerson, Jorginho, Kovacic, Barkley, Pedro, Hazard, Giroud.
Arsenal: Cech, Monreal, Koscielny, Sokratis, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Torreira, Maitland-Niles, Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette.
During his pre-game press conference in Baku, ahead of tonight’s Europa League final vs Arsenal, Chelsea‘s manager Maurizio Sarri spoke about his first season at Stamford Bridge: “For me at the beginning it was difficult to understand my players and the mentality, but after a very difficult January, February they started to change I think. Probably I changed, I don’t know. In this moment I love them. I have 22 wonderful men and players. I am really very happy. I have to consider it for the future. I have to consider that I love English football and the Premier League”. Sarri underlined. “We did a wonderful season. We are in the Champions League, we weren’t last year. We played a final in a competition where we played Liverpool and Tottenham, then lost the final on penalties to Manchester City. Then tomorrow the final of the Europa League”.
Nonetheless, it seems after Europa League’s final, Sarri could leave Chelsea to join Juventus. The Italian, however, doesn’t want to speak about this topic: “You know very well my opinion. It is the same of the last press conference. Today I need to speak only about the final. My players need me only to speak to the final”. Sarri told the media. “I want to think only to the final. I have a contract then for two years. Now is not the moment. Our feeling is that we want to win”.
Chelsea’s manager Maurizio Sarri is ready for tonight’s Europa League final vs Arsenal at Baku.
The Italian coach, during his pre-game press conference gave an update on the injuries’ situation for the Blues: “We are in trouble with the midfielders. We have only three midfielders for three positions. We are in trouble. N’Golo is very important. He is the only defensive midfielder that we have. We will try to recover him. N’Golo for us, it is a problem”. Sarri explained. “He had a little problem in his knee on Saturday. We are trying. It is not serious but it is the problem of three or four days. We will try, but right now we don’t know. 50/50, yesterday 60/40 for no, but now 50/50. He was a little better this morning”.
Today Sarri can win the first trophy in professional football, but he still doesn’t consider this the most important night in his career: “I don’t know. Because the feeling between coach and media is different. For media this is the most important of my life, for me maybe not”. the Italian claimed. “Maybe for me more important was a match in Serie B in Italy. I don’t know. Tomorrow I might be able to tell you my feelings. Not at the moment.”
Finally, Sarri gave also a message to all Chelsea fans especially those who couldn’t travel to Baku: “I don’t know what to say about the problems. You have to ask UEFA and the clubs. I am very disappointed. We do this job for this kind of match. We want our fans here. We will try to win for us and also for them”.
Chelsea are training for the Europa League final vs Arsenal as they hope to finish their season winning a trophy.
It hasn’t been an easy season for the Blues and, according to Marcos Alonso part of the reason is manager Maurizio Sarri never playing professional football: “It’s never easy to come to a new country and new league, new football, new culture. The gaffer is still learning.” Marcos Alonso said. “He was not a football player either, so he is learning a lot this year. Taking orders from someone like that can be different, but at the end of the day we have to be professional and take on whatever he asks us for. He is different”.
So not only Chelsea’s season, but also Marcos Alonso’s one has been full of ups and downs: “I started the season very, and the team also started very well,” the defender added. “Then the manager asked me for something different. I tried to do what he was asking me to do and when the team started winning games again I had a small injury in my back. I had to stop for a couple of games but after that I was back playing good and getting back in the team when they needed me. Now there is a big opportunity to end the season well and go on holiday. It’s not easy of course to adapt. We are eleven players, all have to try to go in the same direction. Managers are different, they have different aspects of tactics. He wanted to change the team not just me. He wanted to change the way we start playing.”
Chelsea face Eintracht Frankfurt tonight at Stamford Bridge as the Blues try to reach the Europa League‘s final.
Here are the confirmed lineups.
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Emerson, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic, Hazard, Giroud, Willian
Subs: Caballero, Alonso, Zappacosta, Cahill, Barkley, Higuain, Pedro
Eintracht Frankfurt:
Trapp, Falette, Hinteregger, Abraham, Kostic, Rode, Hasebe, Da Costa, Rebic, Jovic, Gacinovic
Subs: Ronnow, Ndicka, Chandler, Fernandes, De Guzman, Haller, Paciencia
Tomorrow night Chelsea take on Eintracht Frankfurt at Stamford Bridge in the Europa League‘s semifinal second leg.
After last week’s draw in Germany, the Blues are favourite to reach the final, but speaking during his pre-game press conference, Chelsea’s manager Maurizio Sarri warns his team they have to forget the first leg’s result: “We have to play to win, without managing the results. That’s too dangerous (to do). It’s not easy because we play a very dangerous team, as we saw in the first leg”. Sarri explained. “They are very dynamic and aggressive in the defensive phase, and dangerous in the offensive phase especially when they find spaces on the counter-attack. So it’s a dangerous match.”
Chelsea have already qualified for the next Champions League, now the Europa League can allow the Blues to reach their second target for this season: “We reached the target of the club. And so we are really very happy with this”. Sarri went on. “Now we have to play in another competition and the target is to reach the final – the first target – and the final target will be to win the competition. Our feeling is that we deserve to win a trophy, so it’s a very important match, of course.”
Finally, Sarri gives an injury-update, revealing N’Golo Kante will be back only if Chelsea will reach the final: “Kante had a problem with his hamstring, not really a very serious one but he needs to rest for a couple of weeks. So we can try to recover him only in case we reach the final.”
Gonzalo Higuain helped Chelsea yesterday to defeat Watford and secure a place in the next Champions League.
Speaking to BBC, Blues manager Maurizio Sarri has urged the club to confirm the Argentina international, who arrived at Stamford Bridge on loan from Juventus, also next season.
“If he’s staying then we can do very well in the next season” Sarri said “I don’t know about Higuain’s future, you have to ask the club. But for a striker it is not easy to play here, when you’re used to playing in Spain and Italy. It’s not easy to adapt to this competition because it’s different physically.”
Since his arrival in January, Higuain has scored 5 goals in 13 Premier League‘s appeareances.
Chelsea will face Eintracht Frankfurt tonight in Europa League semifinal’s first leg.
Giroud will start the game and Christensen will replace Rudiger after his knee injury.
Here are the confirmed lineups:
Eintracht Frankfurt: Trapp; Abraham, Hinteregger, Falette; Da Costa, Fernandes, Hasebe, Rode; Gacinović; Kostić, Jović.
Subs: Ronnow, N’Dicka, De Guzman, Willems, Torro, Chandler, Goncalo Paciencia
Chelsa: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Christensen, David Luiz, Emerson; Kanté, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek; Pedro, Giroud, Willian.
Subs: Caballero, Alonso, Barkley, Higuain, Hazard, Kovacic, Zappacosta
