Surely I am not the only one who has simply ignored the struggles of Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League for basically all of 2025. Perhaps it started as numbness, but as the Europa League moved to the knockout rounds, and even the League Cup started to look promising, there was just not a lot that mattered in the league. 17th place is historically bad, but would 10th really mean anything different?
No, this season is trophy-or-bust for Spurs, and Wednesday’s Europa League final is the culmination of one of the strangest journeys in recent memory. This is heightened by Manchester United’s oddly similar struggles, as both English sides have put all of their eggs in the European basket. The stakes are incredibly high for both teams: Champions League next season or literally nothing, hope to build upon or impending disgrace, mockery and ridicule avoided or engulfed.
Even with these polarizing outcomes, I have not really thought about what a loss here would mean. I imagine the weight of 17th place and the disaster of the past nine months would finally come crashing down, making this summer pretty miserable. However, 90 minutes of glory would allow us to never even have to consider that possibility. Come On You Spurs!
Europa League Final: Tottenham Hotspur (17th) vs. Manchester United (16th)
Date: Wednesday, May 21
Time: 3:00 pm ET, 8:00 pm UK
Location: San Mames Stadium, Bilbao, Spain
TV: CBS Sports Network/Paramount+ (US), TNT Sports 1 (UK)
These teams now meet for the fourth time in this season, an event that is not unheard of but certainly an uncommon situation. Tottenham won convincingly at Old Trafford, crushing Erik ten Hag’s side 3-0, then won in North London in the League Cup, a chaotic 4-3 affair in United’s first month under Ruben Amorim. The third contest was a 1-0 victory for Spurs at home again in February, though both sides were less concerned about the Premier League by then.
How much can really be taken away from these contests? I guess it is better to be the team with three wins than with three losses, but much has changed over the course of the season, including the manager for United. Personnel has fluctuated a bunch for both; notably, Spurs started six different center backs across the three previous contests, though still recorded clean sheets in two of them. The past does not dictate the future, but it is clear which team has played better in these head-to-heads, at least.
The center of it all
While Ange Postecoglou will have his preferred back four available, his side is missing its three most creative players, which is unfortunately on brand for his tenure. As a result, Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur look destined to start in midfield, with no obvious source of creativity ahead of them. The options are plentiful, yet none inspire a ton of confidence – Wilson Odobert, Dominic Solanke, and Pape Sarr all have strengths, but none are perfect fits with those set to be around them.
An optimistic perspective would point to Spurs’ Europa League tactics over the past three rounds, with a willingness to concede possession and opting for pragmatic, defensive structure. United will enjoy holding the ball and trying to drive forward, primarily via Bruno Fernandes, but the attack’s production has been much better in chaotic passages of play vs. breaking down a well-positioned backline. Physicality leans heavily in Tottenham’s favor here, and if the midfield holds its ground, the opponents will struggle to score.
This is still a lot of pressure to accept. Since Bissouma and Bentancur are unexpected to offer much going forward, they absolutely must have stellar performances breaking up any oncoming play and muddying up the center of the pitch. Frustrating Fernandes and the United attack then capitalizing on the counter feels like a viable path to victory, but the margin for error is slim to play this way.
Sunshine and stars
Sometimes it takes a standout performance or two to bring the trophy home, and the obvious candidate for that sort of effort is Heung-min Son. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Son looks healthy enough to contribute, and no player in this squad deserves this win more than this captain. It has been a tough season for Son, even without the injuries, but he offers the type of attacking instinct and sharpshooting that can snag a goal against the run of play.
On the other end of the pitch is Cristian Romero, a different type of star and leader. The center back has been inconsistent since winning the World Cup, but the time might be right for him to have a legendary performance on this sort of stage. United is going to force the defense to be engaged the entire match, but Romero has the type of talent to control the penalty area and stop real threats before they materialize. Should Spurs see this one out, I would expect him and Micky van de Ven to be a huge reason why.
The final piece to all of this is Postecoglou, of course. His second-season-trophy comments will become legendary with a win, and honestly he deserves all of the praise should he fulfill his own prophecy. There might never be a bigger singular match for a manager: lose and surely be sacked, but win and become an undeniable club legend. For all of his faults and failures, I trust that Postecoglou will make the right moves to give his team a great shot at finally ending this horrid trophy drought. The opportunity is there — go and seize it.