David Luiz says Chelsea are even more determined to beat Arsenal in the Europa League Final because it will deny their rivals Champions League football next season.
Chelsea booked their place in the all-London final in Baku on May 29 with a thrilling 4-3 win on penalties over Eintracht Frankfurt last night, while Arsenal triumphed more comfortably against Valencia, 7-3 on aggregate.
Maurizio Sarri’s side have already secured a spot in Europe’s premier club competition through finishing in the top four, while Unai Emery’s Arsenal side not only need to win at Burnley on Sunday and hope Tottenham lose at home to Everton, but also have to overturn a goal-difference gap of eight for them to steal fourth place from their north London rivals.
It means that Arsenal will probably have to rely on beating Chelsea in Baku to get back in the Champions League.
But Luiz said: “We know that if we win they [Arsenal] will not be in the Champions League. This will be better for us because we put a fantastic team out of the Champions League.
"The pressure will be on both sides. This is a big European title, everyone wants to be there. It is going to be a difficult game.
“They have a great team and a great coach. He (Emery) knows how to win this competition. I worked with him a bit in Paris (at Paris St Germain) and I know how passionate he is. He knows how to play these kind of games. It is up to us to prepare well.”
With the Champions League Final being contested between Premier League outfits Liverpool and Tottenham, England have become the first nation to have all four finalists in the two European club tournaments.
Just two years ago, Leicester went the furthest out of England’s representatives in the Champions League, being knocked out at the quarter-final stage.
Even though Manchester United won the Europa League, questions were asked over whether teams from these shores could compete with the best on the continent.
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Now, however, an era of dominance could be about to start and Luiz added: “I am happy that English football is showing again it’s at the top level, to have the finalists in the Champions League and Europa League.
“It’s also going to be the final of the Uefa Super Cup next season, so I think the English sides are finishing this season well and will start the next one well too. For many years it was difficult for the English teams to understand how to rotate the team and how to get to the same level for every competition. This season they did great.”
Meanwhile, Luiz, 32, has revealed he expects an announcement to be made next week which will confirm he has agreed a new contract to stay at Stamford Bridge.
