Welcome to the Evening Standard’s LIVE coverage of Chelsea vs Arsenal, the Europa League Final in Baku.
While the lack of fans in the stadium will be apparent at the 68,000-seater Baku Olympia, with both clubs sending back thousands of tickets, the occasion itself will surely be enough to provide a memorable game of football.
For Arsenal, not only is a first European trophy in 25 years on the line, but their hopes of playing Champions League football next season too.
Gunners coach Unai Emery has been before – winning the competition three years in a row with Sevilla between 2013 and 2015 – and with the Spaniard at the helm, the north London outfit will feel they have the advantage.
But in the blue corner, Chelsea will be going all out to stop their arch rivals from getting what they want – just like they did in 2012 with Tottenham when they won the Champions League.
And what’s more, Maurizio Sarri is just one game away from silverware for the first time in his career, having survived a testing debut season in the Premier League. It could also be a bittersweet evening if it is Eden Hazard’s final game in a blue shirt, with the Belgian expected to leave for Real Madrid this summer.
Add into the mix the years of domestic battles, cup final clashes and geographical rivalry between the two clubs, and it seems unthinkable that this game will not go down as a classic.
Standard Sport’s James Olley and Simon Johnson are in the Azerbaijan capital, and we’ll hear from them throughout the day, including their predicted line-ups for tonight's match.
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