2018–19 UEFA Europa League
The 2018–19 UEFA Europa League was the 48th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 10th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League.
The Olympic Stadium in Baku hosted the final | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Qualifying: 26 June – 30 August 2018 Competition proper: 20 September 2018 – 29 May 2019 |
| Teams | Competition proper: 48+8 Total: 158+55 (from 55 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Chelsea (2nd title) |
| Runners-up | Arsenal |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 205 |
| Goals scored | 565 (2.76 per match) |
| Attendance | 5,038,109 (24,576 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Olivier Giroud (Chelsea) 11 goals |
| Best player(s) | Eden Hazard (Chelsea) |
The final was played at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan, between English sides Chelsea and Arsenal – which was the first Europa League final to feature two teams from one city and was also the first time that 4 Premier League resprentives (teams) were in both European finals. Chelsea defeated Arsenal 4–1 and earned the right to play against Liverpool, the winners of the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League, in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup. As winners, Chelsea would also have been qualified for the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League group stage; however, since they had already qualified after finishing third in the Premier League, the berth reserved was given to the third-placed team of the 2018–19 Ligue 1 (Lyon) – the 5th-ranked association according to next season's access list.
For the first time, the video assistant referee (VAR) system was used in the competition, where it was implemented in the final.
As the title holders of the Europa League, Atlético Madrid qualified for the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League, although they had already qualified before the final through their league performance. They were unable to defend their title as they advanced to the Champions League knockout stage, and were eliminated by Juventus in the round of 16.