Another year and another Cup Final against Chelsea (our third in 4 years). Aaron Ramsey scored our winner against them in 2017 at Wembley, but our French striker Alex Lacazette wasn’t there that day.
But he clearly remembers last year’s humiliation in against Chelsea in Baku when we were destroyed by 4 goals in the second half, with our much-maligned ex-striker Olivier Giroud opening the scoring.
But most of all Lacazette remembers the endless 3000 mile journey back to London after the game. “Nobody was talking – it was a long flight,” Lacazette told Arsenal.com. “Really silent. Maybe the worst flight I have ever had.
“When you lose a final, it is really hard to try to talk with someone or to laugh. Obviously everybody was disappointed.
“Hopefully everyone who played will not forget the final last season. Everybody has to find their own motivation for this game.
“Whether that is to think about the past or the future, or whether it is just because they want to win this game, I don’t really care why they want to win. But normally everybody wants to win.”
It was not a good night for any of us, but not all of us had to endure the long, long journey back like Lacazette. It was made worse last year because the defeat meant that we missed our one chance of a return to the Champions League.
This time around they stand in our way of a return to the Europa Cup, and it would be devastating for the club to miss out on European football completely for the first time in 25 years…..
What more motivation could anyone need?
A. Lacazette you need to fight back and show them that they won that europa cup by mistake
And this time round, they can’t play with you young men! Fight fight fight for your best
Cheeeeers!