aragreengist

                              
It might just be his last ever moment on the pitch at Stamford Bridge and Eden Hazard’s winning penalty shootout strike at 10.48pm, finally sent Chelsea into the Europa League final after this erratic team had taken hold of this semi-final only to let it slip away.

The serial trophy winners go to Baku on May 29 to take on Arsenal in another all Premier League occasion although they made hard work of it through extra-time and penalties, even falling behind in the shoot-out when captain Cesar Azpilicueta missed his spot-kick. But goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, whom Maurizio Sarri had tried unsuccessfully to substitute before the League Cup final shootout in February, saved twice, Hazard scored and Eintracht Frankfurt were finally beaten.

Chelsea once again proved to be fatally brittle after half-time, conceding the goal that brought the tie level to the prolific Eintracht striker Luka Jovic, after they had taken a first half lead. That was given to them by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, whose substitution in the last ten minutes of the regulation 90 was accompanied by the booing of a home support who simply do not see the game the same way as their Italian manager.

His team running out of energy, Azpilicueta thought he had won the tie in the 26th minute of extra-time when he dislodged the ball from the grasp of goalkeeper Kevin Trapp and scored but it was disallowed. Before then it had taken a goalline clearance from David Luiz to prevent Eintracht’s substitute Sébastien Heller from scoring in the first period of extra-time.

At Stamford Bridge, into this febrile mood of comebacks and expectation-defying performances came Eintracht Frankfurt, a name from the past when European football was a simpler affair. They were chasing a dream, their first European semi-finals since a 1980 run that saw them win the Uefa Cup and they certainly had the energy for the cause.
They were beaten 6-1 on Sunday, an unfortunate way of preparing for such an important match, caught out by six goals in the space of 36 minutes from Bayer Leverkusen who are one place beneath them in fifth place in the Bundesliga on goal difference alone. Chelsea are capable of winning competitions like this in their bad years and now at the business end of the season there is a serious intent about them.

The banner in the Matthew Harding stand dedicated to Hazard was a precaution taken in case this happens to be the last time that the little maestro darts and twists his way around Stamford Bridge. He did a couple of splendid things in the first half, one of which resulted in the goal for Loftus-Cheek and if this is to be farewell then it will be some time before anyone sets the benchmark for quality quite so high.