Tottenham‘s Brennan Johnson nets the critical goal in his team’s Europa League triumph against Manchester United in Bilbao.
After a 17-year drought without a trophy, Tottenham has finally emerged victorious, thanks to Johnson’s first-half strike that secured the win over Manchester United in the Europa League final.
This win signifies that beleaguered coach Ange Postecoglou has delivered on his vow to secure a trophy in his second season with Spurs.
Postecoglou, who asserted he would “never be a clown” in his pre-match speech, brought joy and elation to the 15,000 official, along with many unofficial, Tottenham supporters gathered at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.
While this victory may not spare Postecoglou from leaving Spurs in the near future, the Australian will depart as a celebrated figure after joining the ranks of Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw in achieving a European title with the north London club.
By following in the footsteps of teams like Newcastle and Crystal Palace, who have also tasted success this season despite rarely claiming trophies, Tottenham is poised to reap a £100 million boost after qualifying for the upcoming Champions League.
In a clash between the two lowest-ranked teams to ever compete in a European final, unfortunately for the losers, there were no bright spots to be found.
Manchester United’s manager Ruben Amorim will lead his squad into the final league match against Aston Villa on Sunday with significant doubts regarding his ability to make them competitive after enduring their worst season since the 1973-74 relegation year.
Amorim has the support of the club’s ownership, but his choice to start Mason Mount ahead of Alejandro Garnacho in an offensive role proved ineffective.
Furthermore, with their captain Bruno Fernandes unusually quiet, United was unable to muster the creativity needed to get back into the match once they fell behind.
They nearly equalized with a Rasmus Hojlund header, which came about due to an error from Guglielmo Vicario, but was spectacularly cleared off the line by Micky van de Ven midway through the second half.
The goal that decided the match was messy, with some arguing whether Johnson provided the final touch—reflecting the lackluster domestic seasons of these two underwhelming teams, yet no one associated with Spurs will be concerned by that.
On a night filled with evident tension and anxiety, apparent from both squads from the outset and affecting even the most seasoned players, it was always going to take a stroke of luck to secure the win.
As the first half drew to a close, Pape Matar Sarr sent in a cross, and Johnson managed to get in front of Shaw for the initial touch.
That touch wasn’t the best and seemed unlikely to trouble Onana. However, after the ball struck Shaw at close range, the Manchester United goalie found himself in a panic.
Johnson made a second attempt to reach the ball. Whether he actually connected is debatable, but the damage had been done. Onana was unable to block it.
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Up until that moment, Tottenham had not managed a single shot on goal. They were not going to achieve another one. It really made no difference whatsoever.
In his centennial match as the manager of Spurs, Postecoglou secured his second trophy of the season, mirroring his achievements with South Melbourne and Brisbane Roar in Australia, Yokohama F Marinos in Japan, and Celtic in Scotland.
The first English team to triumph in a European tournament has now added to its legacy, defeating an English rival for the second time after overcoming Wolves in the 1972 UEFA Cup final.
Postecoglou also captured the Asian Cup two years subsequent to taking charge of Australia, in addition to winning the Scottish league title in both of his seasons with Celtic.
The seven minutes of added time that were announced brought a glimmer of hope for United, suggesting they might rescue themselves in a European final, reminiscent of their famous comeback in 1999.
Former legends like Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney, both present in Bilbao this week, can only watch in disappointment as they reflect on the state of their former club.
