Tottenham Hotspur broke their long-standing trophy drought by edging Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday night. The result ensures that Spurs, who are currently only one spot above the relegation zone in the Premier League, will play in next season’s Champions League.
United manager Ruben Amorim sprung a bit of a surprise by opting to start with Mason Mount and Amad Diallo, with both Manuel Ugarte and Alejandro Garnacho on the bench. Mount starting also pushed skipper Bruno Fernandes into a deeper role than what he’s generally played this season, and the Portuguese international was partially at fault for Spurs’ winner.
He gave away the ball in midfield just before half time, and a few phases later, Brennan Johnson had the slightest of touches to somehow get the ball into the back of the net for Tottenham.
The Lilywhites then sat back- they had no shot at all in the second half and were happy to defend and absorb pressure. They also had keeper Vicario and defender Micky van de Ven to thank for preserving their lead, and the urgency in United’s attacking play came way too late for the Red Devils.
Spurs will now square off against Brighton this weekend while Man United will take on Aston Villa.
