Second half Chelsea dominant in Europa League victory over Arsenal

Chelsea destroyed Arsenal’s hopes of Champions League football next season with a 4-1 rout over the Gunners.

Arsenal’s only hope of Champions League football next season was by winning the Europa League, but Unai Emery’s aspirations were well and truly destroyed as Arsenal produced a second-half collapse.

After a less-than-inspiring first-half, Chelsea broke the deadlock through former Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman tucked home a diving header from Emerson’s pin-point delivery to net his eleventh Europa League goal of the season and finish top-scorer in the second-tier European competition.

Eleven minutes later and Emery’s side were 2-0 down. Eden Hazard found space on the left of the area and picked out Pedro who scuffed a left-footed shot across Petr Cech and into the corner.

On a bad night for Arsenal, things were made even worse when Ainsley Maitland-Miles bundled Giroud over in the box; Hazard obliged from twelve yards and sent Cech the wrong way as he signed off his Chelsea career with a goal.

Alex Iwobi pulled an impressive goal back for the Gunners just moments after coming on as a substitute. The replacement for Nacho Monreal let the ball bounce 22-yards from goal before striking into the far corner with the outside of his boot.

However, any hopes of a comeback were dashed three minutes later when Giroud and Hazard combined excellently before the latter drove a low shot beyond Cech to ensure the hands of Chelsea’s players would be holding the trophy aloft.