A disappointing final never truly got going after that, but Liverpool will not care. Alisson Becker made several confident saves in the latter stages before substitute Origi drilled in the killer second in the 87th minute.

That led to an explosion of joy from their supporters inside the Wanda Metropolitano stadium as Jurgen Klopp’s side made up for their defeat in last year’s final against Real Madrid and the deflation of missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City.

Salah has his redemption after injury ruined his night against Real in Kiev, and Klopp has his first trophy as Liverpool manager. The German ends a run of six straight defeats in finals.

More importantly, Liverpool have their sixth European Cup, further cementing their status as one of football’s most storied clubs.

They now have more than Barcelona or Bayern Munich, and twice as many as their great rivals Manchester United.

Perhaps the occasion was just too much for Tottenham in their first ever appearance in the Champions League final. Beating Liverpool was always going to be a big ask, and they have now lost all three meetings with these opponents this season.

Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to start Harry Kane after nearly two months out did not pay off, and he is still looking for his first trophy after five years in charge.

Nevertheless, if they can keep the manager, and with the impetus from the move to their new stadium, maybe they will be back on such a stage before long.

That they were here at all was remarkable, Lucas Moura’s sensational hat-trick that dumped out Ajax in the semi-finals capping a memorable Champions League season all round.

The stage was set for this match, only the second all-English final, but after all the hype and the stories of fans paying thousands for tickets for a game they simply could not miss, this was a strangely subdued affair.

Kane gamble backfires

Perhaps the stakes were simply too high, or perhaps the three-week break since the end of the Premier League season was to blame.

Most likely the suffocating Madrid heat stifled the players and prevented this from being like a typical Premier League clash.

It might also have been a result of the opening goal coming so early, badly affecting Tottenham’s confidence.

Pochettino had opted to start Kane after an ankle injury, meaning Lucas was on the bench. But Kane hardly touched the ball as Tottenham waited until the 70th minute to spring into life.

Eight members of Liverpool’s team also started last season’s final, when Salah went off injured and in tears in the first half.

This time Liverpool were the ones celebrating after a whirlwind start, Slovenian referee Damir Skomina pointing to the spot inside 25 seconds when Sissoko blocked Sadio Mane’s cross with his arm.

Salah confidently blasted home the penalty for the second-fastest goal ever scored in the final of the modern Champions League.

The only faster goal was Paolo Maldini’s effort for AC Milan against Liverpool in Istanbul in 2005, when the Anfield side famously came back from 3-0 down to win on penalties.

Spurs just did not get going, and there was none of the frenzied pressing and attacking associated with Liverpool either, although Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson both came close in the first half.

Pochettino’s team did improve after the break, but Virgil van Dijk was a rock in the Liverpool defence and there was no way past Alisson, with the Brazilian saving well from Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen late on.

It was left to Origi, one of the heroes of the stunning semi-final win over Barcelona, to wrap it up with three minutes left as he swept home inside the box to end any doubt.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

For Petr Cech, it was the worst way to retire after a legendary career.

Hazard scored twice past his former teammate as Chelsea sliced through Arsenal in the second half of the Europa League final on Wednesday, netting four times in the space of 23 minutes to win 4-1 in a London derby played far from home.

The Belgian star then indicated that he is likely to leave the club this summer, amid widespread speculation about a move to Real Madrid.

“I don’t know yet, I think we will decide in a few days,’ the Belgian star said. ‘My target today was to win the trophy, that was it, that was the only thing on my mind.

“I told my decision two weeks ago and now it depends on the club, both clubs. I am just waiting like the fans wait so you will see, you will know in a couple of days.

“I think it is a goodbye but in football you never know.”

Drab first half

After a drab first half, Chelsea took control in the 49th minute when Olivier Giroud met Emerson’s pass with a diving header into the net.

It was the French striker’s 11th goal in 14 games in the Europa League this season, but he barely celebrated against his old team, kneeling with palms raised as his teammates mobbed him.

Pedro doubled the lead when he found space in the penalty area in the 60th to stroke in a cut-back pass from Hazard.

It was soon 3-0 when Hazard converted a penalty after Ainsley Maitland-Niles — the only English player to start the all-English final — shoved Giroud in the box.

Two minutes after coming off the bench, Alex Iwobi punished Chelsea for a poor clearance with a volley from the edge of the box to make it 3-1 in the 69th.

But Arsenal’s hopes of a comeback were extinguished three minutes later when Hazard and Giroud teamed up again.

Hazard first passed the ball to Giroud and then knocked his flicked cross past Veteran goalkeeper Cech.

Speaking on the pitch shortly after the final whistle in Baku, Hazard said, ‘It was good. In the first half I think both teams had a bit of stress because it was the final, it is something big for both teams, but when Oli scored it was the beginning of a great night. We played well second half, they had a few chances at the end when the score was 4-1 but we controlled the game. I am just happy to lift this trophy with the boys.

Facing the team where he spent his best years — and is expected to return this summer in an administrative role — Arsenal’s Cech made good saves from Hazard and substitute Willian to stop Chelsea humiliating the north London club further.

Chelsea coach heading for Juventus

It was the first trophy for Sarri, the Chelsea coach who did not rule out leaving the club Tuesday when asked about the vacant Juventus coach job, after falling out with sections of the club’s fans.

It was the first Europa League final to have the video referee system, but referee Gianluca Rocchi never made use of it.

That aggrieved Arsenal’s players and fans early on when Alexandre Lacazette collided with Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga but no penalty was given.

With several thousand empty seats and only around 6,000 fans from England, the atmosphere in the stadium struggled to match that of a typical European final.

Arsenal and Chelsea fans had complained of the high cost of travel from Western Europe, and even though locals and fans from elsewhere in the world made up the numbers, the atmosphere was subdued, even flat.

Livening up the Baku Olympic Stadium will be a tricky task for Azerbaijani’s organisers for the four European Championships game it hosts next year.

(FRANCE 24 with AP)