Hazard stars as Chelsea win Europa League

<p>Eden Hazard scored twice in potentially his final game for Chelsea to help secure a 4-1 win over Arsenal in the Europa League final in Baku and end the Gunners’ hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.</p>, <p>Following a lacklustre first half, Olivier Giroud headed in the opener against his former side in the 49th minute before Pedro swept in from Hazard’s cross on the hour mark.</p>, <p>Hazard – who is wanted by Real Madrid and said immediately after the match he thinks this is “goodbye” – added a third from the penalty spot and then netted the fourth in the 72nd minute after Alex Iwobi had pulled a goal back for Arsenal with a fine long-range strike.</p>, <p>Defeat means Arsenal will play in the Europa League for a third season in a row.</p>, <p>ALSO READ: Sarri appears to storm out of Chelsea training ahead of final</p>, <p>Chelsea finish Maurizio Sarri’s first season with silverware and attentions will now turn to the futures of Hazard and Sarri, who is a reported target for Juventus.</p>, <p>Much of the talk ahead of the match had surrounded travel difficulties for fans of both London sides and a drab first half did little to improve the atmosphere at the Baku Olympic Stadium, which was far from full.</p>, <p>Aubameyang spurned the best chance in a low-key start, driving a shot wide from inside the box after a poor punch at the near post from Kepa Arrizabalaga.</p>, <p>Arsenal also had a penalty appeal turned away by the Video Assistant Referee when Alexandre Lacazette appeared to be taken down by Arrizabalaga after prodding the ball past the goalkeeper.</p>, <p>With Chelsea struggling to build any momentum, Granit Xhaka clipped the top of the bar with a powerful strike from 20 yards out.</p>, <p>However, Chelsea improved in the latter stages of the first half as Emerson Palmieri forced Petr Cech – playing his final game before likely becoming Chelsea’s sporting director – to push away a shot in the 34th minute and Giroud then forced Cech into an excellent one-handed save when he shot towa