Tottenham beat Manchester United to land Europa League glory in Bilbao
Tottenham ended their 17-year trophy drought and despatched misfiring Manchester United right into a tailspin as under-fire Ange Postecoglou oversaw a 1-0 victory in Wednesday’s all-or-nothing Europa League closing.
It has lengthy been a case of Bilbao or bust for these groups contemplating their wretched Premier League campaigns, with the San Mames showpiece providing the winner silverware and much-needed Champions League qualification.
Spurs edged this tense all-English closing, with Brennan Johnson’s purpose, thanks in no small half to a contact from Luke Shaw, Micky van de Ven goal-line clearance and Guglielmo Vicario’s stoppage-time save seeing them win a primary trophy for the reason that Carling Cup in 2008.
Beaming boss Postecoglou silenced the critics – briefly at the very least – as he caught to his phrase by profitable a trophy in his second season, whereas United will now spend a primary marketing campaign with out European soccer since 2014-15.
Ruben Amorim’s already robust rebuild turns into that a lot tougher with out Champions League qualification after the Crimson Devils misplaced a primary Europa League match of the marketing campaign on the worst potential time.
It compounds their worst top-flight season since struggling relegation 51 years in the past, however that is Tottenham’s evening as Postecoglou’s males joined the UEFA Cup winners of 1972 and 1984 in immortality.
The primary interval flew by in a blur with few clear-cut possibilities, with Spurs having some early makes an attempt.
Andre Onana was relieved that Noussair Mazraoui stopped a threatening early Pedro Porro cross reaching Richarlison, having been drawn off his line.
United’s goalkeeper stopped a Johnson cross-shot and Pape Sarr’s follow-up was blocked, as was a Richarlison try as Spurs pushed towards a aspect for whom Amad Diallo regarded the liveliest participant.
The ahead was near opening the scoring within the sixteenth minute, displaying intelligence earlier than flashing a shot throughout the face of purpose – and simply past Rasmus Hojlund – from a nook Vicario flapped at.
The top-to-end encounter swung Spurs’ approach within the forty second minute.
Sarr, who had regarded a doubt for the sport, despatched over a right-footed cross from the left that ricocheted off Shaw and seemingly took the slightest spark off Johnson. The ball squirmed previous Onana, sparking pandemonium within the Spurs finish.
Bruno Fernandes noticed an effort blocked earlier than the break and after the interval Vicario nearly handled a harmful Fernandes free-kick that returning Leny Yoro bought a toe on.
Diallo was denied within the field and Harry Maguire noticed off the specter of Dominic Solanke after assembly a move with a heavy contact on the break that adopted.
The sport was on a knife-edge and Van de Ven saved Spurs – and Vicario’s blushes – within the 68th minute. Tottenham’s goalkeeper flapped at a simple-looking free-kick and Rasmus Hojlund’s header was looping in till the Dutchman’s acrobatic goal-line clearance, with Yoro’s follow-up blocked.
Amorim turned to his bench in a bid to vary the dynamics and substitute Alejandro Garnacho introduced a save out of Vicario shortly after Fernandes headed large.
Spurs went to a few on the again in a bid to batten down the hatches however tempers frayed and Shaw’s header in added-time – brilliantly saved – and a Casemiro overhead kick into the side-netting have been the closest United got here to a leveller.
