Brennan Johnson’s Scrappy Goal Secures Europa League Victory for Tottenham, Ending 17-Year Trophy Drought
Brennan Johnson’s scrappy goal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory for Tottenham Hotspur over Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday, ending a 17-year trophy drought for Spurs.
The win, Tottenham’s first European silverware since 1984, also guarantees them a spot in next season’s Champions League. For Manchester United, however, missing out on European competition next year will be a severe financial blow.
Despite the triumph in Bilbao, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou’s future remains uncertain after a turbulent domestic campaign, with Spurs languishing just below United in the Premier League’s lower half.
Postecoglou, who had insisted on the eve of the final that he was “not a clown” and always delivers a trophy in his second season, had the final say in a tense encounter at San Mames, fulfilling his promise of silverware.
“This is what it’s all about,” said Wales international Johnson, speaking to TNT Sports. “This club hasn’t won a trophy in 17 years. Honestly, this means so much. Since I joined, people have said ‘Tottenham’s a good team, but they never get it done.’ Well, we got it done!”
Spurs fans traveled from all over to pack the stadium, with some going to great lengths, including sleeping in cars, to avoid exorbitant travel costs. Yet, despite the large turnout, the final was far from a thrilling spectacle. The match, between two teams struggling near the bottom of the Premier League, was played at high intensity but lacked quality, with numerous turnovers, poor ball retention, and frequent fouls.
Early in the match, Tottenham’s Pape Sarr was blocked by Harry Maguire after Johnson had broken free down the right. United fans chanted manager Ruben Amorim’s name, showing their support despite a dismal Premier League season.
At the other end, United’s Amad Diallo, one of the few players with confidence, had a shot flash across the goal and left Spurs’ Destiny Udogie spinning in his wake as he tried unsuccessfully to link up with his teammate.
Spurs made the breakthrough in the 42nd minute with a scrappy goal. Sarr, who had made only one pass up to that point, crossed to the near post for Johnson, whose attempted flick ricocheted off Shaw’s shoulder and, after another touch from Johnson’s boot, rolled slowly over the line. United’s goalkeeper, Andre Onana, could only helplessly stretch out his arm, unable to stop the ball from crossing.
Defending the Lead
In the second half, Spurs sat back, content to defend their slender advantage and look for counter-attacking opportunities. They nearly doubled their lead when Yves Bissouma played in Dominic Solanke, but the striker failed to control the ball, letting the chance slip.
United had their own opportunity to equalize when Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario came off his line but failed to claim a set-piece. The ball dropped for United’s Rasmus Hojlund, whose header was cleared off the line in spectacular fashion by Micky van de Ven.
Spurs introduced captain Son Heung-min for the out-of-sorts Richarlison, with Son’s inclusion coming as a surprise given his initial absence from the starting lineup.
Manchester United turned to Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee to salvage the game but were ultimately defeated for the fourth time this season by Spurs. Shaw had a chance to redeem himself at the end but saw his header pushed away by Vicario.
Amorim admitted that winning the Europa League would not resolve the deep-rooted issues at United, but it could have helped set the club on a positive trajectory. Instead, United leaves Bilbao without even that consolation. For the first time since the 2014-15 season, they will not play European football next year.
