Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final at Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium, ending a 41-year wait for a European trophy. This victory earned Spurs a place in next season’s Champions League. Brennan Johnson’s goal in the first half proved to be match-winning.
Notably, Tottenham won their previous big title in 2008, when they lifted the League Cup. For a team struggling in the Premier League, this victory is a huge boost for fans and manager Ange Postecoglou.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United final
The match was tight as both teams found it hard to create chances. However, in the 42nd minute, Tottenham got the breakthrough. Pape Sarr kicked a pass into the penalty area, it hit United’s Luke Shaw, and Brennan Johnson tapped the ball to convert a goal.
Manchester United tried hard to tie the game. In the 68th minute, Rasmus Hojlund’s header was stopped on the goal line by Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven. United created another chance when Luke Shaw forced a tough save from Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Importance of the win
Winning the Europa League final was very important for Tottenham Hotspur. United and Hotspur have had an underwhelming Premier League season so far and are currently in the 16th and 17th positions, respectively, in the points table of 20 teams.
However, after performing well in the Europa League and winning the title, Hotspur will storm into next season’s Champions League. Notably, only the top five teams from the Premier League points table can make it to next year’s Champions League, so there wasn’t any other chance for the team to make it to the tournament.
Spurs’ First European win in decades
This Europa League title is Tottenham’s first European trophy since the 1984 UEFA Cup when they registered a 3-2 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The UEFA Cup is the old version of this league. It’s also a big moment after losing the 2019 Champions League final to Liverpool.
Man United’s missed chances
Manchester United but couldn’t convert chances into goals. Hojlund’s header and Shaw’s late effort were close, but couldn’t beat Tottenham’s defense.
United have lifted the Europa League trophy once, back in the 2016-17 season, when they defeated Ajax 2-0 under then-manager Jose Mourinho.
What is next for Manchester United?
For United who are placed 16th in the Premier League table, this defeat means no European games next season. United’s last trophy was the 2024 FA Cup, and they have now lost all four matches against Tottenham this season. They haven’t beaten the Spurs in seven straight games. The team needs to make big changes to get back on track.
Manchester United won – 96 times
Tottenham Hotspur won – 58 times
