Everything is going wrong for Chelsea ahead of Europa League final
By Kian Long
Things aren’t looking good for Chelsea ahead of their Baku clash…
Chelsea takes on Arsenal in the Europa League final tonight. Having already secured their place in the Champions League via their Premier League finish, they are simply playing for pride as opposed to salvation. However, heading into this match, it seems that Arsenal may have the upper hand.
According to BBC Sport this morning, Maurizio Sarri has not been in the best of moods behind the scenes. It appears that he has been taking his ‘frustration’ out on David Luiz. Chelsea officials say this frustration was not aimed at any of his players. However, various media outlets including the often reliable BBC have reported that Gonzalo Higuain and Luiz engaged in a heated exchange of words.
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This, matched with reports from The Sun suggesting Eden Hazard has agreed on a move to Real Madrid, does not look good for Chelsea. Hazard is their best player and perhaps their only shot at overcoming Arsenal, so the Blues will want his mind to be solely on the final. It’s probably his final game anyway, so Hazard will want to go out with a bang.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are in good shape. They finished the Premier League season on a high, despite not reaching their projected top four finish. The likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are in top form. If David Luiz really is unnerved, then the two lethal strikers will aim to pounce on this.
Unai Emery is a Europa League specialist, so he will be licking his lips at Chelsea’s situation. He has the chance to make this his fourth European title win, winning three with Sevilla. He is no stranger to English competition either since one of those three wins included a dramatic win against Liverpool.
If Chelsea is to stand any chance in this match, they will need to put their minds at ease and focus solely on the game, nothing else. European finals are never guaranteed, even when the competition has never lifted a European title.
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What is your score prediction for this Europa League final between Arsenal and Chelsea?