After a crazy season full of surprises, Arsenal and Chelsea collide at Baku’s Olympic Stadium in the 2018-19 UEFA Europa League Final.
Chelsea are already assured of a place in next season’s Champions League whereas Arsenal must win if they are to make it five English teams in Europe’s premier competition.
Team news
Embed from Getty ImagesArsenal will be without Henrikh Mkhitaryan who misses out through security fears due to tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Danny Welbeck however could feature for the first time since suffering an ankle injury in November.
Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding (both knee), Konstantinos Mavropanos (knock), Denis Suarez (groin) and Aaron Ramsey (thigh) are all sidelined.
Chelsea will welcome N’Golo Kante back after the midfielder missed their last four games through a knee injury.
Ethan Ampadu (back) and Gary Cahill (Achilles) could also feature in the squad as youngsters, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek remain ruled out with Achilles injuries.
Antonio Rudiger (knee) and Marco van Ginkel (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) are also absent from the squad.
Stat Attack
- Arsenal have lost one of their last eight meetings with Chelsea (W4, D3, L1) with three of those clashes coming in domestic cups, which the Gunners won on each occasion (2-1 on aggregate overall in 2017-18 League Cup semi after drawing first leg 0-0 then winning second leg).
- Arsenal have won their last three major cup finals (including Community Shield) against Chelsea by a combined 4-2 aggregate.
- Chelsea won their only previous Europa League Final, beating Benfica in 2013.
- One goal here would see Oliver Giroud clinch the 2018-19 Europa League’s Golden Boot.
- Victory for Arsenal will see Unai Emery become the first manager to win four Europa League trophies, having already won three with Sevilla between 2014-16.
- Maurizio Sarri is still looking for his first trophy as a manager, having gone close with Chelsea already this season but lost the League Cup final on penalties.
- Out of the last three Europa League finals contested by teams from one country, the side considered as the home team won on two of those occasions with only exception coming in 1998 when Inter Milan beat Lazio 3-0 in an all Italian Final.
Prediction
Having had two and a half weeks without no competitive action, I can see the opening minutes being key because if either side don’t impose themselves quickly then this could be a tough battle.
Throw in the fact that both teams have already played here before against Qarabag in the past two seasons and recorded comfortable wins, we might well see a great but open game.
Arsenal ultimately have the better of Chelsea when it comes to Cup Finals though and Unai Emery knows how to win this competition, so am going for a North London win.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
Result: Arsenal 1-4 Chelsea