Brennan Johnson’s bundled first-half goal helped Tottenham Hotspur win a scrappy Europa League final 1-0 against Manchester United on Wednesday as they cast aside their domestic woes to earn a berth in next year’s Champions League.
It was Tottenham’s first silverware since the 2008 League Cup and their first European trophy since 1984, but the fourth time they had beaten United this season.
Johnson scored in the 42nd minute when United’s defence crumbled as Pape Sarr swung in a cross while goalkeeper Andre Onana remained rooted to his line. Johnson and United defender Luke Shaw rushed in and the ball appeared to glance off both of them and in, past Onana’s desperate swipe.
The goal was as scrappy as the game in a matchup of teams who have had wildly disappointing Premier League seasons, with United languishing in 16th and Spurs 17th.
United’s Rasmus Hojlund had a terrific chance to equalise with a header midway through the second half, but Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven leapt for a stunning clearance off the line.
United almost equalised at the death but Shaw’s header was saved by a diving Guglielmo Vicario.
“This season hasn’t been good at all but I swear not one of us players right now care about that. This is what it’s all about, this club hasn’t won a trophy for 17 years,” goalscorer Johnson told TNT Sports.
“Honestly, this is what it means. It means so much. All the fans get battered, we get battered, for not winning a trophy, for not winning anything. But we had to get the first one in a while today. I’m so happy.”
As well as ending a painful 17-year trophy drought, Tottenham’s win also offered vindication to embattled manager Ange Postecoglou.
In a season defined by Premier League disappointment, their continental conquest represented a stunning reversal of fortunes.
The victory also rewards Tottenham with Champions League qualification for next season, a remarkable achievement for a side languishing just above the Premier League relegation zone after an alarming 21 defeats.
Their triumph may well serve as the crucial lifeline that their 59-year-old Greek-Australian manager Postecoglou needed to cement his future at the club.
For Manchester United, the defeat compounds a season of deep frustration.
Mired near the bottom of the Premier League, the Red Devils now face the prospect of a campaign without European competition, leaving Ruben Amorim, United’s beleaguered coach, to rebuild at Old Trafford without the draw of European nights.
The final presented a fascinating spectacle: two Premier League underachievers transformed into European contenders and it was Tottenham who proved that European football can provide unexpected redemption.
Amorim’s side will be thoroughly sick of the sight of Tottenham, who extended their unbeaten run against United to seven matches, completing an unprecedented seasonal sweep with four wins in four encounters, a first in their history against the Manchester club.
As jubilant Spurs players and fans celebrated in the balmy evening air of Bilbao, Tottenham’s long-suffering faithful rejoiced as after 41 years without European silverware and countless near-misses, a weight was lifted from their shoulders.
