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Europa League final 2019, Chelsea vs Arsenal: What date is it, what time is kick-off and what are the latest odds?

Chelsea vs Arsenal, Europa League final 2019: What date is it, what time is kick-off and what are the latest odds? - Getty Images
Chelsea vs Arsenal, Europa League final 2019: What date is it, what time is kick-off and what are the latest odds? - Getty Images

What is it?

Chelsea vs Arsenal, the 2019 Europa League final - and Arsenal's last chance of securing Champions League football.

When is it?

Unlike the rest of the competition the final is on a Wednesday night - May 29.

What time is kick-off?

The game will get under way at 8pm, British Summer Time.

Where is the venue?

Azerbaijan capital Baku is the final's host city, and the final will be played at the city's near 70,000 capacity Olympic Stadium.

The Azerbaijan national team play there and the stadium will host group stage games at Euro 2020.

Baku is the biggest city in the Caucasus region, and also the lowest-lying capital in the world at 28 feet below sea level.

It is nearly 2,000km from both Moscow and Istanbul.

How can I get tickets?

Arsenal and Chelsea would receive fewer than 7,000 tickets each to sell to season ticket holders, with details on both clubs' official websites.

Travel to Baku and spending in the oil-rich city can be hefty though, so making the trip will cost supporters.

What prize is on offer?

The winners of the Europa League automatically qualify for next season's Champions League.

They will also claim more than £7 million in prize money and a share of the television money depending on how many teams for their country have featured in the competition.

When Man Utd won the Europa League in 2016 - the last English team to do so - earned around £40 million in total from their Europa League success.

How did Chelsea and Arsenal reach the final?

Chelsea 1 Eintracht Frankfurt (2-2 on agg AET, Chelsea win 4-3 on pens)

Eden Hazard hit the winning penalty for Chelsea to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 4-3 in a shootout on Thursday and reach the Europa League final where they will meet fellow Londoners Arsenal.

The lively semi-final contest had finished 1-1 after the sides had produced the same scoreline in Frankfurt a week ago.

Chelsea had looked in charge half an hour into the game when Hazard, tipped to leave the club this summer, dodged and shimmied round the Frankfurt defence on the left flank before pushing a perfectly-weighted pass into the path of Ruben Loftus Cheek for the England midfielder to score in the 28th minute.

But three minutes after the break Luka Jovic split the defence, playing a neat one-two with Mijat Gacinovic before shooting home past stranded Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to even the scoreline.

The visitors had the psychological advantage and pressed 2013 champions Chelsea with Luka Jovic, Ante Rebic and Danny da Costa constantly dangerous going forward looking for the invaluable second away goal.

At the other end Olivier Giroud, Willian and substitutes Davide Zappacosta and Gonzalo Higuain squandered chances for the home side in an error-strewn last 20 minutes of normal time and frantic end-to-end half an hour of extra time.

Arrizabalaga saved penalties from Martin Hinteregger and Goncalo Paciencia in the shootout while Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta also saw his shot stopped.

Valencia 2 Arsenal 4 (3-7 on agg)

A hat-trick from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and an Alexandre Lacazette strike booked Arsenal's place in the Europa League final with a 4-2 win at Valencia on Thursday to seal an emphatic 7-3 aggregate victory.

In a week of improbable European comebacks, Valencia, trailing 3-1 from the first leg, were seeking to become the latest side to overturn a hefty deficit and made the perfect start as Kevin Gameiro slid in to convert Rodrigo's centre with 11 minutes played.

Arsenal hit back almost immediately when Aubameyang notched his first of the night with a fine finish from outside the box from Lacazette's flick on.

Valencia continued to push forward, but were caught napping by Lacazette's curling effort just after the break to put the visitors ahead on the night.

Gameiro converted Rodrigo's mis-hit shot just before the hour to set up a possible grandstand finish, but Aubameyang soon restored Arsenal's lead before completing his treble two minutes from time to book their first European final since they lost the 2006 Champions League final to Barcelona.

Arsenal will face Chelsea or Eintracht Frankfurt in the Azeri capital Baku on May 29.

What are they saying?

Maurizio Sarri

"I think we played a very good first half. Then in the first part of the second half, we went in trouble. We were passive in the defensive phase, so we conceded the goal, 10 minutes of panic.

"Better in the last part of the match, then in the extra-time, I think we were really tired - after 60 matches to play 120 minutes it's really very difficult and we were unlucky during the match because we lost (Andreas) Christensen, we lost (Ruben) Loftus-Cheek.

"We started the match with three injuries and two injuries during the match, it's not easy but in the end, we can play the final."

Unai Emery

"I am proud of them," Emery replied when asked about the impact of Aubameyang and Lacazette.

"Big players can be good strikers but when their commitment is like today, defensively also, to work to help us, it is amazing.

"Each match is different and I think today we showed everybody our character, and also our capacity to be together and struggle in some moments defensively, but also having good moments in attack.

"Against Valencia, not one team this year has scored four goals against them. Only one time, against Atletico Madrid, have they conceded three goals and we did that last week. It's a very good team, a difficult team, and today we showed we can do that."

What are the latest odds?

To lift the trophy: 

  • Chelsea - 4/6

  • Arsenal - 11/10