Arsenal’s win over Chelsea in January can be Europa League blueprint | Jonathan Wilson


Unai Emery has proved a master of two-leg ties but also has the wherewithal to impose his gameplan in a one-off final

Transition is often a useful excuse for football clubs but in the case of Arsenal and Chelsea it happens to be true. The Europa League final will be a battle of two managers coming to the end of their first season at their respective clubs, both hamstrung by oddly imbalanced squads, and both charged with leading their sides into a bold new era.

Maurizio Sarri’s problem, though, is that all Chelsea’s existence since José Mourinho was first removed in 2006 has been transition.

Related: Arsenal’s ongoing Champions League absence has not been so costly | David Conn

Related: Eden Hazard rules out playing for another English club after Chelsea

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