Chelsea v Arsenal | 2018/19 Europa League Final: 3 Motivations from both sides to win the game  

Arsenal and Chelsea will trade tackles in Baku, Azerbaijan in the UEFA Europa League final to be played on Wednesday, May 29th 2019. Arsenal and Chelsea endured similar contrasting fortunes during the course of the Premier league this season, although the latter would be the much happier side, as they finished third in the premier league behind league contenders Liverpool and champions Manchester City.

However, there is so much at stake here for both sides especially considering the fact that both teams have new coaches who will looking to clinch their first silverware as managers in England, and a European trophy at that.

Both teams will be hugely motivated going into this encounter, so let's take a look at a number of factors that will serve as a big motivation going into the game, making it a promising match between the two London teams.

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#1 The absence of Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Henrikh Mkhitaryan will miss the game due to non-footballing reasons

The Armenian did not make the 23-man squad that travelled to Azerbaijan over the weekend due to the political tensions currently existing between the host country of the final, Azerbaijan and his country of birth, Armenia.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan met his family to discuss the possibility of travelling to Azerbaijan, however it was decided that he should not travel due to concerns of security. Although, UEFA gave assurances of the Mkhitaryan's safety. Apparently, they were not satisfied.

Several Arsenal players have expressed their disapproval that the Armenian will not be able to play due to some diplomatic reason. Gabon striker Pierre Emerick Aubameyang has stated that the absence of the Armenian will motivate them to win the Europa league.

It is surely going to serve as a motivation to the Arsenal players to win the Europa League.

#2 Maurizio Sarri's will to lift a trophy as a coach

Sarri will fancy his chances of winning the first trophy of his career

The Italian had spells with Empoli and Napoli in the Serie A before joining Chelsea in the 2018/19 season. Sarri has not won any major honours for any club he has coached. The closest he came was being runners-up in Serie B with Empoli which eventually earned them promotion to the Serie A in the 2013/14 season. He was also a beaten finalist in the EFL cup this season against Manchester City.

No doubt, he needs to make that first leap of having won a title as a coach and the Europa League is a perfect one for him to do so. There is also dissatisfaction among the fans of the club over his tactics and playing style at times during the season especially in games they lost scandalously.

In some matches this season, his substitution of Ross Barkley with Kovacic was greeted with ironic laughter and chants of "you don't know what you're doing" from Chelsea fans during the FA Cup fifth-round loss to Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

Then there were humiliating defeats at Bournemouth and Manchester City respectively, not to forget goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga's open challenge to Sarri's authority when he refused to be substituted in the Carabao Cup final. All these incidents over the course of the season have raised serious doubts about his managerial competence and his ability to take the club forward in the long-term.

#3 The UEFA Champions League incentive for Arsenal

Arsenal players celebrate a goal in their final game of the season in the premier league against Burnley

Unlike their opponents in the final, Arsenal failed to finish in the top four for the third consecutive season. The Europa league winners are given automatic qualification to the UEFA Champions League the following season, so the game against Chelsea is a must win for Arsenal.

Champions League qualification is crucial for the gunners for a number of reasons. First, for a club of Arsenal stature, they should be playing in the first tier of European competition and being out of the competition for a long while is totally unacceptable.

Secondly, Champions League qualification is likely to increase funds for the club to strengthen the weak areas of the team especially defensively. The team conceded about 50 goals in the premier league this past season, the same as last season when Arsene Wenger was in charge.

Undoubtedly, the team needs reinforcements and the funds from Champions League participation will be key.