securing places in the UEFA Europa League final, sustaining their Champions League hopes. Both clubs generated dominant semifinal displays from the relegation zone in the Premier League, United thrashing Athletic Bilbao 4-1 at home at Old Trafford (7-1 on aggregate) while Spurs won 2-0 in away ties with Bodø/Glimt in Norway (5-1 aggregate). The last one on May 21 in Bilbao will not only provide a European champion but also give the champion to next season’s Champions League and a silver lining to a miserable domestic campaign.
This is second successive all-English Europa League-final and the last was Chelsea’s over Arsenal in 2019. Their Premier League formations both have been underwhelming, but they both have a European career to make amends. With United boss Ruben Amorim admitting the stakes for a fanbase starved of consistent success-hostility towards the club is still a significant factor-If we don’t win the final, it means nothing for us, he explained.
Mount and Solanke Take the Lead
Manchester United’s turn-around started from behind 1-0 halfway though the match where Mason Mount re-entered to lead a second half recovery. With two goals of his own, in addition to work from Casemiro and Rasmus Højlund, his efforts put paid to all hopes of a Bilbao revival. Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro put Tottenham through to the final with some sharp second-half finishes for the Lilywhites.
United and Spurs, 15th and 16th respectively in the Premier League, have hit bottom with record lows; both losing records. A Europa League crown (and all that goes with a Champions League berth) is the potential antidote to a season that has left it desperate for some dignity and momentum heading into 2010/11.
The final is, for Amorim, an opportunity to win his first United trophy and continue the club’s recent cup run. In the meantime, meanwhile, the Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou might continue his tradition of second-season silverware, having achieved that at every club he’s coached. The May 21 clash in Bilbao will be the fourth of the season for the two, after Spurs have defeated the team three times this season. Going into the final with each club determined to wash off the blot of their Premier League participation, the end has promised drama and redemption.