Chelsea 4-1 Arsenal: 5 Men who won the Europa League Final for Sarri
Chelsea and Arsenal faced each other at Baku on Wednesday in their most important night of the year. It was a game that had the ability to define their current season, it was the match that could have a huge impact in the upcoming season for both clubs as well.
For both clubs, this was the only chance of a Silverware this season. For Arsenal, there was a lot more on the line. They had finished the season outside the top four and were staring at another season without the Champions League. Winning the Europa League, though, would guarantee them entry into Europe's elite club competition next season.
For Chelsea, the odds were different. It was rumoured to be Hazard's last game in Chelsea colours, while they had also been imposed with a transfer ban. But winning the Europa League would give the club and Sarri, the perfect shot of adrenaline to take into the next season. The Italian, as such, was desperate for a win and named his team accordingly.
He started with Kepa in goal, with Azpilicueta, Christensen, Luiz, and Emerson making up the back four. The midfield comprised of Jorginho, Kanté and Kovacic, while up front, Pedro, and Hazard started on either side of Giroud.
Arsenal started the game well, but Chelsea ended the first half stronger, as the game went into half time with the score at 0-0. In the second half, Chelsea picked up the pace and opened the scoring through Giroud. Pedro made it 2-0 before Hazard scored from the spot to give his team a 3-0 lead. Iwobi scored a stunner to give the Gunners a brief hope, but Hazard made it 4-1 soon after, effectively taking the game away from Arsenal.
While the entire team played exceptionally well, Sarri will be extra pleased with the performance of these 5 men, who won his team the game and helped Chelsea become Europa League Champions.
#5 Emerson
The Brazilian started at left back and was full of running all night. He regularly bombed forward and gave Arsenal a lot of trouble through the left. Emerson combined very well with Hazard and even tested Cech on a couple of occasions. He was ambitious and forward-thinking in his movements and this helped Chelsea deal with the Arsenal wingbacks.
Even though he drove forward at every occasion, Emerson was assured at the back. Due to his good positioning and stellar defensive performance, Arsenal had little joy through their right side. The Brazilian setup Giroud to score the opening goal, picking up an assist on the night and summing up a great outing.