Tottenham beat Manchester United to land Europa League glory in Bilbao

Tottenham ended their 17-year trophy drought and sent misfiring Manchester United into a tailspin as under-fire Ange Postecoglou oversaw a 1-0 victory in Wednesday’s all-or-nothing Europa League final.

It has long been a case of Bilbao or bust for these teams considering their wretched Premier League campaigns, with the San Mames showpiece offering the winner silverware and much-needed Champions League qualification.

Spurs edged this tense all-English final, with Brennan Johnson’s goal, thanks in no small part to a touch from Luke Shaw, Micky van de Ven’s goal-line clearance and Guglielmo Vicario’s stoppage-time save seeing them win a first trophy since the Carling Cup in 2008.

Beaming boss Postecoglou silenced the critics – temporarily at least – as he stuck to his word by winning a trophy in his second season, while United will now spend a first campaign without European football since 2014-15.

Ruben Amorim’s already tough rebuild becomes that much harder without Champions League qualification after the Red Devils lost a first Europa League match of the campaign at the worst possible time.

The first period flew by in a blur with few clear-cut chances, with Spurs having some early attempts.

Andre Onana was relieved that Noussair Mazraoui stopped a threatening early Pedro Porro cross reaching Richarlison, having been drawn off his line.

United’s goalkeeper stopped a Johnson cross-shot and Pape Sarr’s follow-up was blocked, as was a Richarlison attempt as Spurs pushed against a side for whom Amad Diallo looked the liveliest player.

The forward was close to opening the scoring in the 16th minute, showing intelligence before flashing a shot across the face of goal – and just beyond Rasmus Hojlund – from a corner Vicario flapped at.

The end-to-end encounter swung Spurs’ way in the 42nd minute.

Bruno Fernandes saw an effort blocked before the break and after the interval Vicario just about dealt with a dangerous Fernandes free-kick that returning Leny Yoro got a toe on.

Diallo was denied in the box and Harry Maguire saw off the threat of Dominic Solanke after meeting a pass with a heavy touch on the break that followed.

The game was on a knife-edge and Van de Ven saved Spurs – and Vicario’s blushes – in the 68th minute. Tottenham’s goalkeeper flapped at a simple-looking free-kick and Rasmus Hojlund’s header was looping in until the Dutchman’s acrobatic goal-line clearance, with Yoro’s follow-up blocked.

Amorim turned to his bench in a bid to change the dynamics and substitute Alejandro Garnacho brought a save out of Vicario shortly after Fernandes headed wide.

Spurs went to three at the back in a bid to batten down the hatches but tempers frayed and Shaw’s header in added-time – brilliantly saved – and a Casemiro overhead kick into the side-netting were the closest United came to a leveller.