The Europa League final is the most significant game in the recent history of the club. The club’s future for the next couple of seasons hangs on the results of this game. Whether or not Unai Emery’s season will be seen as a success depends on this one game. The caliber of players in the squad in the next few seasons depends on whether champions league qualification is attained through this game. As an added bonus, we’re playing local rivals Chelsea which comes with its own set of storylines. Petr Cech is playing his last game in a European cup final against the club at which he is a club legend and, if the stories are to be believed, will be joining as a sporting director next season. The much beloved Oli G stands in Arsenal’s way, after flopping in big European ties in the past for Arsenal (Monaco away, I’m looking at you). Eden Hazard is probably playing his last game in Chelsea blue. It’s all too much to take. Let’s try to take a step back and see if we can get a better perspective on where the game will be won and lost. Injuries Both teams are missing some big players going into the game. We already knew about the long-term injury absences for both teams. Arsenal are missing Bellerin, Holding and Ramsey to season ending injuries, while Chelsea lost both Rudiger and Hudson-Odoi to season ending knee-injuries sustained in April. Thanks to UEFA’s incompetence Arsenal are also missing Henrikh Mkhitaryan, due to the political tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Chelsea recently received two unforeseen blows in the forms of injuries to Loftus-Cheek and Kante in the past week, who are now highly likely to miss the final. Arsenal seemed to have found a way to cope without Holding and Bellerin, as they got through the entire knockout phase without them. But Ramsey being unavailable is huge. Prior to his injury he was the lynchpin in Arsenal’s system. His work ethic and consistent goal/assist contribution made him a fixture in the lineup for the all the big games in the second half of the season. Emery finding the perfect player for the pressing number 10 role in his midfield in a player who was ruled out for the most decisive part of the season and is leaving at the end of the season is the most Arsenal thing ever. It’s no secret that this season to shut down Chelsea you need to press Jorginho. If you can disrupt his deep ball progression ability, it goes a long way in stymieing Chelsea’s attack. Without Ramsey, and no Mkhi to fill in, the onus is all on Ozil. The same man who has been out of the team for large parts of the season for his inability or unwillingness to put in a shift in training is responsible for leading the press against Chelsea. If you weren’t nervous yet, you should be now. Emery is going to have to do something which he’s not really figured out yet, get the best out of Ozil. I expect Emery to set up a substitution at around the 60-minute mark to bring on Iwobi for Ozil, to maintain a high pressing intensity from the number 10 position. Midfield Battle It’s not all doom and gloom in the midfield battle for Arsenal, as Chelsea will probably have to cope without Kante and Loftus-Cheek. After finally cementing his place following years of promise, Loftus-Cheek’s absence is a huge loss for Chelsea. In recent matches he’s been a crucial presence in midfield for them and has made the number eight role his own. When firing on all cylinders, his play has been very reminiscent of Paul Pogba. The Englishman’s 6’4’’ physique combined with his dribbling ability on the ball and eye for goal makes him a tough match for any team. Without him Chelsea will likely roll out a midfield of Jorginho, Kovacic and Barkley. This represents an opportunity for the Arsenal pivot of Xhaka and Torriera to physically dominate the midfield. That has rarely ever been said of a midfield matchup between Arsenal and Chelsea since the invincibles. In a free-flowing football game, that Chelsea midfield easily outplays its Arsenal counterpart. But finals are rarely ever a stage for exciting football. They are often defined by scrappy, tactical battles where both teams are trying to stifle each other. Xhaka and Torriera aren’t perfect themselves, but they are the midfield which is better suited to shut down the other midfield. Both enjoy a physical battle and have complimentary skill sets for this assignment. Torriera scurries around the midfield harassing the player on the ball, while Xhaka sweeps up loose balls and launches counterattacks. With strikers as clinical as Aubameyang and Lacazette, as long as our midfield stays disciplined, we have a chance. Big Man Little Man Let’s talk about those strikers. This is where the game will be won or lost for Arsenal, Arsenal’s strike pair vs Chelsea’s shaky defense. Without Rudiger, Chelsea will turn out with a partnership of Luiz and Christensen. David Luiz looks to have lost a step this season, and Christensen while having a great ability to read the game, lacks the physical attributes of Rudiger. David Luiz is a defender who likes to step into midfield and dictate play but without Rudiger to bail him out, there will be space in behind the defense to exploit for Aubameyang. Luiz has also proven susceptible to a high press in games this season. His performance at Bournemouth away earlier this season is evidence of this. Luiz’ tendency to be sloppy in possession could be exploited by Lacazette. Although he’s the little man in the partnership he is far more aggressive. He’s averaged 1.2 tackles per 90 this season which is the highest in the premier league for any forward player who has played more than 1800 minutes. He also has the ability to retain possession or break up play through smart fouls when Arsenal are under pressure. Arsenal will need him to make use of these abilities to the fullest extent to keep Chelsea’s center back pairing on their toes. The threat of Aubameyang’s runs in behind the defence will also hamper the offensive impetus offered by the full backs, as they may need to cover for their more lumbering center backs. Azpilicueta will likely tuck in to create a more compact defensive formation off the ball depriving Arsenal’s strike force of space in the box. This leaves a lot of space for Sead Kolasinac to exploit the space on the left wing. Cutbacks from the wing-backs into the box has been Unai Emery’s most effective tactic for goals, with Kolasinac and Maitland-Niles providing a combined 10 assists from wing-back positions since the turn of the year. If Kolasinac can be efficient with his crossing/passing in the final third, expect to see some huge chances present themselves from the left side of the pitch. A Problem Like Hazard So far things look pretty positive for Unai Emery, but there’s one person who will be giving him sleepless nights before the final. That individual is Eden Hazard. Dealing with Hazard will be a difficult proposition for the Arsenal defense. Easily the most talented player in the final, Hazard’s mindset is the key indicator for whether or not he’ll put in a good performance. It’s almost an open secret that Hazard will be leaving for Real Madrid in the summer, which makes this his last game for Chelsea. If Hazard is motivated to win a trophy for the fans to cap of his tenure as a Chelsea player, he could cause chaos in the Arsenal final third. If Hazard has already checked out and is living in sunny Madrid already, his head may not be in the game. Arsenal have been on the end of an Eden Hazard masterclass many times in the past, so there is no need for me to reiterate his abilities. Another key factor to note is the partnership Hazard has formed with Giroud. All Arsenal fans know what Giroud brings to a team. He’s probably the best target man in world football. His holdup play and ability to bring his teammates into the game is second to none. Hazard has reaped the benefits of this in the past few months. Similar to his partnership with Griezmann in the French national team, Giroud’s ability to occupy central defenders frees up a lot of space for Hazard to work his magic. The way Arsenal need to tackle the Hazard problem is by isolating him from the other attackers. This is where Arsenal’s 3 center backs come into play. With an extra center-back they can afford to defend against Giroud in numbers. Even if Giroud wins the next first challenge, the Arsenal center backs need to make sure they win the second ball and recycle the ball back into midfield before Chelsea attackers occupy dangerous spaces around the ball. Tactical Tug of War The last piece of information I’m going to leave you with is the battle between the two managers. Both managers are in their first seasons at their respective London clubs. Even though Chelsea secured champions league football by finishing two places above Arsenal in third, Sarri seems to be the man under more pressure from the fans. The Italian technician has never been able to win the hearts of Chelsea fans. His unyielding desire to maintain his footballing principles even at the cost of poor results or uneven performances has been seen as a major failure in the eyes of Chelsea supporters. In contrast Emery has taken a more pragmatic approach to football at the emirates. He’s shifted between various systems and formations to maximize the abilities of the players at his disposal. Although there are still concerns amongst the fanbase about decisions taken by Emery, he has shown enough promise in the big games to earn the support of the majority of the fanbase for another season.
In the battle of the trophy-winning pedigree of both managers, Emery emphatically wins. Even if you discount his PSG triumphs, Emery has 3 consecutive Europa leagues on his side whereas Sarri has yet to win a trophy in his managerial career. Having already lost a cup-final in dramatic fashion for Chelsea(Kepa-Gate), the pressure is on Sarri to deliver on Wednesday. Emery has won this very competition 3 times in the past, and knows what needs to be done. I would expect him to have a much calmer approach to the final than Sarri. It’s going to be a tactical battle between a pragmatist and an ideologue. Will Sarri’s commitment to his philosophy reap rewards, or will Emery prevail by stifling Sarri’s style of play? On paper, Arsenal and Chelsea are evenly matched and make for a mouthwatering matchup for the neutrals. Equally with so much on the line and long-lasting implications, it’s going to be a nerve-wracking 90+ minutes for Arsenal fans. I for one, hope that by the end of the game, both clubs will have secured their place in the champions league. Then both Arsenal and Chelsea fans can assemble and sing YNWA for the next 4 days.
1 Comment
SheerWilpower
5/28/2019 05:07:02 pm
Ramsey is going to be a huge miss for this game!
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