The inevitable. The unavoidable. The inexcusable.
Tottenham have one final chance to turn what has been the most embarrassing season in the club’s history into a historic one. Everything is forgiven if they show up for one last time on Wednesday night and earn a place in next season’s Champions League.
It’s the exact same situation for Manchester United. They too will go to any extent to lift this cup and avoid having their season remembered as their worst in history.
How both teams go into the Europa League final
Tottenham come into this clash off the back of successive league defeats. 2-0 to Crystal Palace and then 2-0 to Aston Villa. Neither performance featured a full-strength Spurs side, and neither result particularly concerned the fanbase. In fact, the Villa game showed significant improvement in performance compared to the Palace match.
With one Premier League game left, Spurs sit 17th in the table with 21 defeats and 38 points. But Europe has been a different story altogether. The Lilywhites cruised through the group stages, then defied the odds with crucial knockout wins, all while being unbeaten at home, to reach this point.
It’s a mirror image for Manchester United. Just one point and one place above Spurs in the league, they’ve long had nothing to play for domestically too. Like Tottenham, they’ve lost their last two league games. 2-0 to West Ham and then 1-0 to Chelsea most recently. The difference? Ruben Amorim fielded his strongest XI in both games while Spurs had their big names rested.
But in Europe, United have been very dominant, probably more than Spurs have. They remain unbeaten in the competition, and it’s been an excellent run from them so far. Most recently, they dismantled Athletic Club 7-1 on aggregate in the semi-final.
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Tottenham vs Manchester United head-to-head record
These two have already clashed three times this season, and Spurs came out on top in all three.
For the first time since 1989, Tottenham completed a league double over United, winning 3-0 at Old Trafford and 1-0 in the reverse fixture in North London.
The third meeting came in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals: a game that resembled a circus more than a football match. Spurs led 3-0 comfortably before Fraser Forster showcased some fancy footwork that somehow turned the match into a nervy 4-3 win. That match also gave us that iconic Ange line: “Aren’t you entertained, mate?”
United haven’t beaten Spurs since October 2022. Tottenham have won four of their last six meetings, with the other two ending in draws. Home and away records don’t matter anyway, so no point mentioning them.
Tottenham team news
Spurs had one job against Villa: avoid injuries, and they still didn’t do that. Pape Sarr limped off early in the second half and went straight down the tunnel accompanied by the medical staff.
On a positive note, Son Heung-min looked sharp on his return and should be in contention to start.
There’s a faint – very faint – bit of hope regarding Lucas Bergvall, after leaked images showed him posing for a finals photoshoot without crutches. It’s a long shot, but let’s hope Ange has some good news in his press conference.
Confirmed absentees include Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison.
Manchester United team news
Ruben Amorim has paid the price for fielding strong teams in recent league games. Leny Yoro picked up a foot injury against West Ham, while Matthijs de Ligt is now a doubt after a knock. That likely leaves a centre-back duo of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.
Confirmed absentees include Diogo Dalot, Joshua Zirkzee, and Lisandro Martinez. We await any updates from Amorim regarding potential returns/absentees.
Predicted Tottenham lineup
Vicario, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie, Bentancur, Bissouma, Johnson, Solanke, Richarlison, Son
There’s no doubt about the back four.
As for midfield, Sarr’s injury didn’t look too serious, but it didn’t look like a knock either. Ange won’t want to risk him in a final. So, who fills the number 10 role?
If Bergvall is fit, he starts. But that’s just hope right now. Wilson Odobert is another name, having been trialled there against Villa. The Frenchman looked uncomfortable, despite finding himself in some good situations.
Ange even tried Richarlison there briefly, but that’s too small a sample to judge.
The reality? Spurs are out of midfielders. Playing someone out of position in such a huge game makes little sense. So the best bet is a switch to 4-2-4; a formation Ange has used before with decent results. This lineup assumes Sarr and Bergvall are unavailable, though that could change based on Ange’s press conference.
Players to watch out for
Cristian Romero: Like Kevin Danso said, he’s a world-class defender and he knows the importance of a final and how much a place in the Champions League next season will mean for the fans and his future. He was solid in both legs of the quarter-finals and semi-finals, and that’s just proof of how much he wants to win this trophy. He hasn’t lost a final in his career yet and he’ll want to keep that record intact.
Son Heung-min: This is what unites all football fans around the world – not just Spurs fans want a player like him to finally win a trophy. He has been a loyal servant of the club, spent his prime years here and came very close to winning silverware before. He’s the only player still at the club from the squad that started Spurs’ last European final, and no word suits how much Son deserves this more than any player. He posed a lot of threat against Aston Villa, hoping to start here, and he’ll be the last one on the pitch to let the fans down.
Mason Mount: English fans are delighted to see him back to his best. He’s been excellent for United lately and was man of the match in the semi-final second leg against Athletic Club, where he scored a brace. After a tough season filled with injuries and criticism, a final performance could mean a lot to him personally.
Harry Maguire: This man has been haunting Spurs fans’ dreams as the one to score a last-minute winner in the final – and what are the odds? He’s proven himself to be a proper big-game performer. It’s been a long road for him: from being called a flop and a meme to now being a fan favourite. He can cause real trouble from set-pieces and occasionally bombs forward to get on the end of crosses.
Our Europa League final prediction
Let’s be honest – most would’ve predicted this final the moment the draws were released. No words can capture just how high the stakes are for both clubs.
Neutrals may argue that neither side deserves a Champions League spot, but fate has handed us a final where both have earned their place through European excellence.
Ange might be the slightly more desperate man here, considering Amorim’s future isn’t under the same scrutiny. If Ange manages to win a European trophy at Spurs, his quote “I always win things in my second season” will go down as one of the coldest in football history, especially given some of the world’s best managers have come and left Spurs empty-handed.
Whatever it is, it will be a thrilling game of football filled with intensity and fight, as both sides have nothing to lose and everything to win.
It’s either going to be a wild party or riots in N17 come Wednesday night. All we can hope for is that it ends with Ange’s side beating Amorim’s for the fourth time this season.
Predicted score: Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 Manchester United