Football: Chelsea clinch UEFA Europa League cup

By Fatih Erel

ISTANBUL (AA) - In an all-English rivalry, Chelsea won UEFA Europa League cup after beating Arsenal 4-1 in the final on Wednesday.

The championship match between the two London rivals were played at the Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.

Chelsea's Olivier Giroud scored the opening goal of the match at 49th minute with a header.

Pedro took the lead to 2-0 at the 60th minute.

Eden hazard’s first goal came with penalty shot at 65th minute for Chelsea and he scored the second goal at 72nd minute.

Arsenal's goal came at 69th minute from Iwobi.

- Arsenal's second 4-1 loss in final

Arsenal have never won the UEFA Europa League cup so far.

Turkish football giants Galatasaray beat Arsenal 4-1 in penalty shoot-out in the 1999-2000 UEFA Europa League final.

It was the second time Arsenal played and lost in the UEFA Europa League final.

Arsenal also aimed to win the cup for the direct participation to the UEFA Champions League next season. After losing to Chelsea, Arsenal will go to the UEFA Europa League next season again.

Despite competing in seven finals, Arsenal hold only one UEFA cup, namely UEFA Winners' Cup in 1994.

Chelsea won 6 of 9 the UEFA finals and they won the Europa League cup for the second time in 2019 after reaching the victory in 2013.

With Liverpool and Tottenham meeting in the Champions League final in Madrid in June 1 and Chelsea and Arsenal played in the Europa League final, it marks the first time in history that Champions League and Europa League finals are contested by four English teams.