Brennan Johnson strikes to clinch Europa League glory for Tottenham

For Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham, there was only one story, one mission. It was not about what happens next with the manager; that can wait. It was about grasping an opportunity that does not come around very often, about emerging from what has felt like a generation’s worth of jibes; about winning.

On a golden night for their longsuffering followers, they chased the baggage from their backs, they changed the narrative. Yet again, Postecoglou won in his second season at a club. For the first time since 2008, Spurs got their hands on a trophy.

There was an idea that success here could do more than rescue the season and bring Champions League qualification; it could unlock something. Yet in the release of all that pent-up frustration upon the full-time whistle, all that mattered was these 90 minutes – plus those nerve-shredding seven extra ones – inside this stadium.

It was a long way from being a classic but try telling that to the hordes in white who danced and pulled each other tight when it was all over, lost in the emotion. Spurs scored just before the interval when Brennan Johnson attacked a Pape Sarr cross, the ball spinning home – just about – with assistance from the unfortunate Manchester United defender, Luke Shaw. And thereafter, Postecoglou’s team simply defended. They did so with their lives. Their expected goals statistic for the second half? 0.00. It did not matter. The only thing that did was keeping United out.

Cristian Romero, who started as the captain after Postecoglou named Son Heung-min among the substitutes, was a titan of strength, ably supported by his central defensive partner, Micky van de Ven. But there were heroes everywhere in white. Like Sarr, whose energy was remarkable in the No 10 role. Like Yves Bissouma.

United had their openings, none bigger than when Rasmus Højlund looped a header goalwards in the 68th minute and saw Van de Ven take off towards his own line, stretching out one of those long legs to acrobatically hook clear from high above it; one of the defining images.

View image in fullscreen Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven acrobatically clears a Rasmus Højlund header off the line in the second half. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters

Plenty of the others came after full time. Son’s tears; after 10 years at Spurs, he finally has what he has craved. Postecoglou’s broad smile. He has succeeded where Mauricio Pochettino, José Mourinho, Antonio Conte and all the rest failed. If he departs, after what has been a historically terrible Premier League season, he will do so as a legend.

Spurs will arrange the open-top bus parade – it is slated for Friday – and, hey, their fans will probably tell you that they have now won more than Arsenal over the last five years.

United fought until the end, Shaw working Guglielmo Vicario deep into stoppage time with a header but yet again, they paid the price for their lack of end product. Winning a trophy would not have papered over the cracks that have yawned wide during a truly awful domestic season but it would have given them a good feeling. They departed with only emptiness.

The hype had been extraordinary: redemption or Armageddon. For both clubs. It felt as black and white as that. But if the line about Bilbao bobbins got a laugh, it overlooked how hard the teams had fought to get here; how much it meant.

The nerves jangled; hearts hammered. On the pitch and in the stands. There were errors as both teams fought to settle; fouls conceded, clearances fluffed. It was end to end, the tempo lifted from a weekend Premier League fixture. Composure was sorely missing.

View image in fullscreen Bruno Fernandes struggled to make a decisive impact for Manchester United. Photograph: Vincent West/Reuters

Postecoglou has shown that he can be more flexible with his approach in the knockout rounds of this competition. It need not be relentless waves of intricate attacks. Spurs were happy to look long for Dominic Solanke. They were happy to park the bus.

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The individual battles pounded. It was easy to fixate on Amad Diallo versus Destiny Udogie, with the Spurs left-back intent on taking risks, on driving upfield – and not without success. Diallo was booked for tugging at his shirt during the first half. In the other direction, Diallo shimmered with menace.

Spurs blew the game open in the 42nd minute. There had been few clear chances up to that point. Sarr had a shot blocked after a loose Harry Maguire pass for Shaw, Johnson having got in on the initial phase while Diallo flashed in a couple of dangerous balls.

The breakthrough was of a piece with the overall scrappiness. Sarr’s whipped cross from the left was dangerous, with Johnson making a trademark run from the far post. He could not finish on the bounce and that was when fate intervened, the ball rearing up, striking Shaw’s upper arm and squirming, via a brush with Johnson’s boot, into the corner beyond André Onana’s desperate dive.

United had been here before this season; trailing Spurs, needing to find an answer. In both of the league fixtures and the Carabao Cup quarter-final, they could not do so, losing all three.

Spurs sank deeper, measuring their progress in duels won, clearances executed. Udogie made a crucial tackle on Diallo inside the area before surging forward at the other end, narrowly missing a pass to Solanke. Son got on for Richarlison and Spurs dug even deeper, the Van de Ven clearance standing as a symbol. Vicario had spilled a Bruno Fernandes free-kick and Højlund was able to measure his header.

Ruben Amorim made changes, including Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee for Mason Mount and Højlund. United probed. Fernandes blew a header when well placed and Garnacho extended Vicario. Postecoglou sent on Kevin Danso for Johnson and went to a back five. When Vicario denied Shaw, Spurs were there.

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