Arsene Wenger gives the damning verdict of Arsenal's poor performance in the Europa League final

Arsene Wenger had a say on the collapse of Arsenal in the last Europa League clash against Chelsea, where a double Eden Hazard helped From Maurizio Sarri men to a convincing 4-1 win in Baku.

The Gunners had a lot to do, with the chance to win their first European title for more than 20 years and the reward of winning a Champions League spot next season after finishing fifth in the Premier League.

A decent performance in the first half did not mean anything, Chelsea having come out at halftime, the guns were blazing, scoring a quick goal that resulted in the collapse of Unai Emery's men under the pressure. An attack ensued and the final score of 4-1 could have been worse if there had not been crucial stops by the veteran goalkeeper. Petr Čech.

While part of beIn SPORTS's animist team for the Champions League final, Wenger shared his thoughts on the game. As The Mirror quotes, the former director of Arsenal said: "I felt that in the first half we had done very well but as soon as Chelsea scored the first goal, we completely collapsed.

"In the second half, we did not exist, it was a sad night for us."

He went on to explain how he agreed with English clubs playing second-tier teams at the very beginning of European competitions, due to the extreme intensity of the Premier League. He added: "I agree that until the quarter-finals of the Europa League, you play with a reserve team when you play in England, because the Premier League is very demanding.

"I would even say in the Champions League group stage, when you have a tough match on the weekend, sometimes even in the group stage because you are about to qualify.

"The Premier League is so difficult that, until the quarter-finals, teams play with [players] who do not play in the Premier League. "