Europa League

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Attendance: 51,370

Europa League | Final

May 29, 2019 at 8pm UK

Chelsea
4-1
Arsenal

Giroud (49'), Pedro (60'), Hazard (65' pen., 72')

FT(HT: 0-0)

Iwobi (69')

Granit Xhaka: 'Arsenal eager to end time in Europa League'

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 27 May 2019

Xhaka: 'Arsenal cannot afford more EL football'

Midfielder Granit Xhaka admits that he and his Arsenal teammates are eager to avoid a third successive season in the Europa League.

Granit Xhaka has acknowledged that he and his Arsenal teammates are desperate to secure a return to the Champions League.

Arsenal missed out on a top-four spot in the Premier League standings, but victory over Chelsea in the Europa League final will end the club's two-year spell in the competition.

Xhaka says that he is keen to avoid talk about their domestic campaign, as the Switzerland international is instead focused on getting the better of their London rivals in Baku.

The 26-year-old is quoted by The Mirror as saying: "We have to be in the Champions League. We didn't play there for two years and we have to be there next season. All the players, the fans, the club – we want to play against the best teams, and the best teams are in the Champions League.

"We speak about the season, what was good, what was bad, what can happen if we win the Europa League. We had a good season but lost our way a little bit in the last five games. But if you're in the Europa League final and can take a trophy, get into the Champions League, we'll take that.

"I don't speak about the past. I have to speak about the final, we can't change nothing in the Premier League, it's over."

Xhaka has made eight starts in Arsenal's run to the final.