The clash between Chelsea and Arsenal is likely to go down as one of the most memorable Europa League final showdowns in history.

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The Blues ran out 4-1 winners in Azerbaijan as Maurizio Sarri recorded his first trophy as a manager, while Unai Emery's Gunners were left to rue their lack of Champions League football in 2019/20.

Olivier Giroud's non-celebration celebration, Eden Hazard's parting brace and Rob Green hoisting the trophy high in the sky may all slip out of your mind, but the farcical circumstances around the host city of Baku and their Olympic Stadium are sure to stick long in the memory.

UEFA's decision to host the final in Azerbaijan ignited much controversy, escalated in the build-up by news that Armenian international Henrikh Mkhitaryan would not travel with his Arsenal team-mates due to concerns over his safety.

The midfielder's absence may be one of the most disturbing issues that engulfed the all-London final, but fans and neutrals alike were quick to slam UEFA for staging a bizarre night of football in every aspect.

It wasn't just Mkhitaryan who couldn't reach the final...

Just 6,000 tickets were released to each club, yet neither sold out their allocation due to a severe lack of travel options.

The foolhardy souls who did claw their way to Baku weren't exactly rewarded for their efforts...

It wasn't just fans in the stadium struggling to keep track of the action.

The high TV angle was the source of much debate on social media...

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Thankfully it's all over now, and we can all just go back to enjoying Baku-less football without any travels concerns, safety fears, outrageous views or tragic TV angles...

Authors

Michael PottsSport Editor

Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.

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