“Tottenham don’t have any trophies.” “What a trophy for Tottenham Hotspur.” “Spursy.”
This is the narrative that has been attached to this football club since 2008, but finally, after 17 years, fans and players can put these claims to bed as Tottenham Hotspur delivered a victory, Wednesday night in Bilbao as they beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final.
The sixth all-English final in a European competition had a lot on the line for both clubs, as the stakes were higher than ever for both the club in red and the club in white; in many ways it was do or die. Considering the disgraceful league campaigns the two clubs have put on this season with United sitting in 16th and Tottenham sitting one place above relegation in 17th, this trophy and the opportunity for Champions League football next season was the only thing that could save the seasons for both.
As the floodlights of the Estadio de San Mamés lit the pitch, both teams walked out to a sea of white on one side and red on the other. The nerves were palpable for both fan bases as the consequences for this final in particular were massive. If you win, all the losses and hurt from this season will be forgotten and you will be revered by the fans as heroes. If you lose on the other hand, all the eggs you’ve put in this Europa League basket will be shattered and you’re seen as a joke to your rivals and the rest of the footballing world.
Within the first few minutes of the match you could tell that the nerves and pressure in the stadium was also felt by the players as it was a scrappy beginning and this would paint the picture for the rest of the final as it would play out to be a cagey affair between the two Premier League giants. Misplaced passes, no patterns of play and no real fluidity to the game, it was evident this was a match between the 16th and 17th placed teams in the league and after 40 minutes it was stuck in a deadlock with the only real chance in the game being a powerful shot by Manchester United winger Amad Diallo that blew past the net and went wide.
However, despite the poor quality of football on display to the neutral fan, finals are all about singular moments that define the legacy of a player and team and in the 42nd minute Tottenham fans got just that. A rare bit of possession from Spurs saw a cross from central midfielder Pape Matar Sarr whipped into the post where Brennan Johnson ran into space and as he almost mistimes his hit the ball bounces off the arm of United defender Luke Shaw and falls back into the path of Johnson and he gives it the smallest of touches that directs the ball into the goal beating the gloves of keeper André Onana in which he realistically should be saving. A scruffy and ugly goal that summed up the contest but the players and especially the fans did not care as the sea of white erupted into cheer and elation.
That was the defining moment and really the only interesting part of the game, it was Spurs’ only shot on target and they spent the rest of the game sitting deep and defending for their lives to see out the game, which included Micky Van de Ven’s athletic goal line clearance that prevented Man United from equalising and saving Spurs season.
The defensive performance of Tottenham was one to be applauded which in a way is almost ironic because manager Ange Postecoglou’s defensive tactics have been heavily criticised during his two year tenure in England and many critique his naive and almost reckless high line of defence that has seen his side concede 61 goals in the Premier League this season. Although, in his Europa League campaign he has coached a very structured and disciplined defence showing his ability to adapt, keeping a clean sheet in the biggest game of the season.
The full time whistle blew and it was pure and utter joy for Tottenham and it was clear to see how much it meant to the fans and the players, particularly the club captain Heung Min Son who has been at the club for 10 years and has been a star and with this win he finally gets his crowning moment. He said after the game “Today’s the day — probably I will say I’m a legend.“
On the flip side, this is an absolute train wreck for Manchester United. The biggest club in England is finishing the season with no trophies, no European football at all for the first time since 2014-15 and being either 16th or 17th in the League just mere spots above relegation. This is far from the club that was winning Premier League after Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson between the late 90s and early 2010s.
The ramifications of losing this match means they will have less money to spend in the summer to sign new players, reinvest in the club and to build the new stadium they have planned to replace Old Trafford. Man United are already in a poor financial situation with many employees having to be let go from the club as a part of budget cuts, they absolutely needed the money that comes from qualifying for the Champions League to save them. Safe to say after this loss, Manchester United as we know them are finished for the foreseeable future.
Last night cemented this Tottenham team as legends of the club and writes a new chapter for this sleeping giant that has been dormant for 17 years and could be the catalyst for a winning era in North London. And as for Ange Postecoglou, he kept his word and always does win something in his second year.
The question is, can he do it again in his third?
Featured Image Credit: @spursofficial on Instagram
