Tottenham Hotspur have ended a 17-year trophy drought with a 1–0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao.
Recall that Tottenham Hotspur coach Ange Postecoglou once said he usually wins things in his second season. Well, this is indeed his second season, and he has now delivered his first major trophy at the club—despite Spurs sitting 17th in the Premier League.
Brennan Johnson opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, with the ball appearing to deflect off Luke Shaw for an own goal, but it was ultimately credited to Johnson. After scoring, Tottenham immediately switched to a defensive setup. A goal-line clearance from Van de Ven, denying a header from Højlund, may have saved the day for Spurs.
Aside from Van de Ven’s clearance, we must talk about Spurs' goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario . I agree—it’s the era of goalkeepers. Just like Sommer for Inter Milan and Donnarumma for PSG, Vicario produced incredible saves that were key to Spurs reaching the final.
While Onana shouldn’t be fully blamed for the goal, some argue that with a more proactive goalkeeper, perhaps the ball wouldn't have gone in. Of course, some saves are nearly impossible—but "nearly impossible" isn't the same as "impossible."
Despite United’s loss, it's still a great day—not just for Spurs but especially for their captain, Son Heung-min, who has now won his first-ever trophy. The 32-year-old has remained loyal to the club despite his immense talent and chose not to leave during his peak years.
What makes this story more wholesome is that his former teammate, Harry Kane, also ended his trophy drought this year, winning the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.
Ironically, Manchester United were the only unbeaten team in this season’s Europa League, only to lose in the final to Spurs. Interestingly, last year, Bayer Leverkusen were also unbeaten all the way to the final but lost to Atalanta, with Ademola Lookman scoring a hat-trick.
With this victory, Spurs have booked a spot in next season’s Champions League. As for Manchester United, they will not be playing in Europe at all next season.
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