# 2018–19 UEFA Europa League
The 2018–19 [UEFA Europa League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-europa-league) was the 48th season of Europe's secondary club football competition and the tenth since it was rebranded from the UEFA Cup, won by Chelsea, who beat fellow English club Arsenal 4-1 in the final at the [Baku Olympic Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/baku-olympic-stadium) in [Azerbaijan](https://www.edgepedia.org/azerbaijan) on 29 May 2019.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2019/) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/may/29/chelsea-arsenal-europa-league-final-match-report-eden-hazard)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Champions | Chelsea, beating Arsenal 4-1 in the final in Baku on 29 May 2019[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2019/) |
| Scale | 205 matches, 565 goals (2.76 per match), 56 teams in the final tournament and 213 including qualifying[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2019/statistics/) • [5](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Publications/uefaorg/General/02/61/96/23/2619623_DOWNLOAD.pdf) |
| Top scorers | Olivier Giroud (Chelsea) 11 goals; Luka Jović (Eintracht Frankfurt) 10[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2019/) |
| Scoring record | Joint second-most prolific season of the ten-year Europa League era, behind only the 585 goals of 2011/12[5](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Publications/uefaorg/General/02/61/96/23/2619623_DOWNLOAD.pdf) |
| Firsts | First Europa League fixture to use the video assistant referee (VAR), in the final[6](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0252-0d04874dba4e-ee9b66fedd61-1000--all-you-need-to-know-uefa-europa-league-final/) |
| Chelsea's run | An 18-match Europa League unbeaten run, surpassing Atlético Madrid's previous best of 15 from 2011/12[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0251-0e99bcd7e7b6-1b7b7d42c592-1000--uefa-europa-league-2018-19-season-by-numbers/) |
| Final referee | Gianluca Rocchi (Italy), with Daniele Orsato as fourth official[6](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0252-0d04874dba4e-ee9b66fedd61-1000--all-you-need-to-know-uefa-europa-league-final/) |
## Format and participation
The season opened a new three-year competition cycle with revised regulations, and the group stage ran from 20 September to 13 December 2018 with 48 teams.[8](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0245-0f842da82339-6e8f28a643ae-1000/uefa_direct_177_01.05.2018_.pdf) • [9](https://as.com/futbol/2018/08/31/uefa/1535736822_735322.html) Across the whole campaign 213 clubs took part including the qualifying stage, with 56 in the final tournament proper.[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2019/statistics/) Chelsea were among nine sides making their debut appearances in the group stage; when they won the title in 2013 they had switched from the Champions League before the knockouts.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0251-0e99bcd7e7b6-1b7b7d42c592-1000--uefa-europa-league-2018-19-season-by-numbers/) [RB Leipzig](https://www.edgepedia.org/rb-leipzig) became the 17th different German club to appear in a Europa League group stage.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0251-0e99bcd7e7b6-1b7b7d42c592-1000--uefa-europa-league-2018-19-season-by-numbers/)
## Knockout phase highlights
**Slavia Praha's late escape.** Slavia Praha appeared out of the round of 16 when [Franco Vázquez](https://www.edgepedia.org/franco-vazquez) scored in the 98th minute for Sevilla, leaving the Czech side needing two more goals. Mick van Buren quickly replied, and in the 119th minute a [Simon Kjær](https://www.edgepedia.org/simon-kj-r) own goal sent Slavia through 6-5 on aggregate.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0251-0e99bcd7e7b6-1b7b7d42c592-1000--uefa-europa-league-2018-19-season-by-numbers/)
**Frankfurt's away-goals comeback.** [Eintracht Frankfurt](https://www.edgepedia.org/eintracht-frankfurt) lost 4-2 at Benfica in their quarter-final first leg, then won the tie on the away goals rule with a 2-0 home success.[5](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Publications/uefaorg/General/02/61/96/23/2619623_DOWNLOAD.pdf) In the semi-finals Chelsea held [Frankfurt](https://www.edgepedia.org/frankfurt) 1-1 in the second leg and advanced 4-3 on penalties.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2019/) Zenit's third qualifying round told a similar story in reverse: stunned 4-0 at Dinamo Minsk, they won the return 8-1 after extra time.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0251-0e99bcd7e7b6-1b7b7d42c592-1000--uefa-europa-league-2018-19-season-by-numbers/)
**Arsenal's semi-final.** [Alexandre Lacazette](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexandre-lacazette) and [Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang](https://www.edgepedia.org/pierre-emerick-aubameyang) scored all seven of Arsenal's goals across the semi-final against Valencia and the last eight before the final.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0251-0e99bcd7e7b6-1b7b7d42c592-1000--uefa-europa-league-2018-19-season-by-numbers/)
## The final
The final was played on Wednesday 29 May 2019 at the Baku Olympic Stadium, kicking off at 21:00 CET, 11pm local time, and for the first time took place just four days before the Champions League final, after the end of the domestic season.[6](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0252-0d04874dba4e-ee9b66fedd61-1000--all-you-need-to-know-uefa-europa-league-final/) It was the first major UEFA title decided in Azerbaijan, and the first Europa League fixture to use VAR.[6](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0252-0d04874dba4e-ee9b66fedd61-1000--all-you-need-to-know-uefa-europa-league-final/) Chelsea won 4-1, with [Olivier Giroud](https://www.edgepedia.org/olivier-giroud), a former Arsenal player sold to Chelsea in the January 2018 transfer window, scoring and assisting against his old club as [Eden Hazard](https://www.edgepedia.org/eden-hazard) inspired the victory.[2](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/may/29/chelsea-arsenal-europa-league-final-match-report-eden-hazard) • [10](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/i-didnt-celebrate-the-goal-too-much-out-of-respect-but-it-was-an-incredible-feeling-olivier-giroud-recalls-sinking-former-club-arsenal-with-chelsea-in-the-2019-europa-league-final) The win gave manager [Maurizio Sarri](https://www.edgepedia.org/maurizio-sarri) the first trophy of his coaching career, in his first season at Chelsea, alongside a top-four Premier League finish that secured Champions League football.[11](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/europa-league-final-2019-chelsea-vs-arsenal-result-goals-highlights-watch-eden-hazard-a8935626.html) The winner also earned a place in the Champions League group stage, and the trophy, at 15 kg, is the heaviest of all UEFA silverware.[6](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0252-0d04874dba4e-ee9b66fedd61-1000--all-you-need-to-know-uefa-europa-league-final/)
## Season statistics
Chelsea led the club scoring charts with 36 goals, ahead of Arsenal and Frankfurt on 30 each, Sevilla on 26, Salzburg on 25, and [Villarreal](https://www.edgepedia.org/villarreal) on 20.[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2019/statistics/) [Real Betis](https://www.edgepedia.org/real-betis) topped possession at 63.8 percent and passing accuracy at 89.5 percent, with Chelsea second in both measures.[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2019/statistics/) Arsenal kept the most clean sheets, nine, one more than Chelsea's eight.[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2019/statistics/)
Behind Giroud's 11 and Jović's 10 goals, Munas Dabbur of Salzburg, Wissam Ben Yedder of Sevilla, and Aubameyang scored eight each; Giroud and Jović became only the fifth and sixth players to reach double figures in a Europa League season.[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2019/statistics/) • [7](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0251-0e99bcd7e7b6-1b7b7d42c592-1000--uefa-europa-league-2018-19-season-by-numbers/) Giroud scored in five consecutive Europa League games before Dynamo Kyiv stopped him, then hit a perfect hat-trick in the second leg.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0251-0e99bcd7e7b6-1b7b7d42c592-1000--uefa-europa-league-2018-19-season-by-numbers/) Andreas Christensen and Willian made the most appearances, 15 each.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2019/)
The season's oldest scorer was David Català of AEK Larnaca at 38 years, 224 days; the youngest was his 17-year-old team-mate Dimitris Raspas, at 17 years, 186 days.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0251-0e99bcd7e7b6-1b7b7d42c592-1000--uefa-europa-league-2018-19-season-by-numbers/) Villarreal and Napoli both advanced from the group stage with perfect records for the seventh time in as many attempts, and Salzburg finished the group stage with a 100 percent record for the third time, more than any other side has managed.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0251-0e99bcd7e7b6-1b7b7d42c592-1000--uefa-europa-league-2018-19-season-by-numbers/) Unai Emery, Arsenal's coach, ended the season having overseen a record 74 Europa League matches, 22 more than the next coach, Jorge Jesus, on 52.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0251-0e99bcd7e7b6-1b7b7d42c592-1000--uefa-europa-league-2018-19-season-by-numbers/)
## References
1. [Season 2018/19, UEFA Europa League, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2019/)
2. [Chelsea win Europa League after Eden Hazard inspires thrashing of Arsenal, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/may/29/chelsea-arsenal-europa-league-final-match-report-eden-hazard)
3. [UEFA Annual Report 2018/19](https://annualreport.uefa.com/2018-19/en/static/_content/uefa-annual_report_2018-19.pdf)
4. [Season 2018/19 Stats, UEFA Europa League, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2019/statistics/)
5. [2018/19 UEFA Europa League technical report, UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Publications/uefaorg/General/02/61/96/23/2619623_DOWNLOAD.pdf)
6. [All you need to know: UEFA Europa League final, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0252-0d04874dba4e-ee9b66fedd61-1000--all-you-need-to-know-uefa-europa-league-final/)
7. [UEFA Europa League: 2018/19 season by numbers, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0251-0e99bcd7e7b6-1b7b7d42c592-1000--uefa-europa-league-2018-19-season-by-numbers/)
8. [UEFA Direct #177 (1 May 2018)](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0245-0f842da82339-6e8f28a643ae-1000/uefa_direct_177_01.05.2018_.pdf)
9. [Calendario y horarios de la Europa League 2018/19, AS](https://as.com/futbol/2018/08/31/uefa/1535736822_735322.html)
10. [Olivier Giroud recalls sinking former club Arsenal in the 2019 Europa League Final, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/person/player/i-didnt-celebrate-the-goal-too-much-out-of-respect-but-it-was-an-incredible-feeling-olivier-giroud-recalls-sinking-former-club-arsenal-with-chelsea-in-the-2019-europa-league-final)
11. [Europa League Final 2019 – Chelsea vs Arsenal: Five things we learned, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/europa-league-final-2019-chelsea-vs-arsenal-result-goals-highlights-watch-eden-hazard-a8935626.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Competitions and recurring events › UEFA competitions › UEFA club competitions › UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license