Tottenham and MU Put on “Horse Blinders” in Europa League

The decline of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the English Premier League is a rare occurrence, akin to Halley's Comet, which is visible from Earth only once every 75 years. Supporters of both Spurs and MU are currently the most resilient generation, having witnessed their teams become the worst in half a century.

Tottenham Hotspur star, Son Heung-min, could only hang his head in disappointment after his team was defeated by hosts Aston Villa, 0-2, in the 37th week of the English Premier League at Villa Park Stadium, Birmingham, England, on Saturday (17/5/2025) early morning WIB.

In fact, Villa has been one of the favorite opponents for this South Korean player. In the 11 previous encounters against the Birmingham-based team, Spurs scored 7 goals and provided 4 assists. This time, Son was unable to elevate Spurs' performance, which has lost its purpose and enthusiasm for playing in the remainder of the English League season.

The defeat against Villa underscores Spurs' decline. This loss marks the fifth in their last six matches in the Premier League. Furthermore, if we look further back, this defeat becomes the 21st in the 37 matches they have played in the Premier League this season.

It is not surprising that Spurs are now languishing in 17th place in the English League with 38 points. Their position is only better than three teams that have already been confirmed for relegation, namely Ipswich Town (22 points), Leicester City (22), and Southampton (12). In fact, last season, Spurs under the management of Ange Postecoglou were still able to finish fifth and secure a ticket to the UEFA Champions League.

"It's unacceptable, they're losing almost every week (in the Premier League). It's a disgrace. They've got no heart, no desire, to win games," said Jamie O'Hara, a former Spurs player, as quoted by Goal.com.

The current position of Spurs is the worst in the era of the English Premier League, which began in 1992. The last time they were in such a dire situation in the league was during the 1976-1977 season. At that time, they finished at the bottom, in 22nd place, in the First Division, which was the highest tier of English football at that time. They were subsequently relegated.

Ironically, Spurs have been active in shopping for players, such as Dominic Solanke and Archie Gray. The value of their squad reaches 746 million euros, equivalent to 13.7 trillion rupiah. With that value, Spurs have spent an average of 20.2 million euros (368 billion rupiah) for each point they have earned this season.

Spurs have no momentum, nor do United. This could be the most extreme Europa League final. Chris Sutton

They are only worse than MU (21.9 million euros per point) and Southampton (21.4 million euros per point) in terms of return on investment relative to performance. This situation certainly infuriates the new owners of Spurs, billionaire Joe Lewis, and his partner Daniel Levy.

There are many reasons why the team from North London, which has collected two English League titles, has fallen as deeply as it has now. One of the issues is their inability to defend well. The Spurs' goal has conceded 61 goals this season, with about half of them occurring in the first half.

However, Postecoglou pointed to a storm of player injuries as the reason for their poor performance trend. Last season, when the majority of their players were fit, Spurs managed to compete at the top of the table.

This season, as reported by Transfermarkt, at least 18 of their players, including Heung-min, have been absent multiple times. They missed a total of at least 153 matches. This figure is the highest compared to other clubs, such as Arsenal (18 players in 151 matches) and Manchester United (15 players in 146 matches).

Currently, the only thing that can redeem their poor season is the Europa League. Spurs will face MU in the Europa League final in Bilbao, Spain, on Wednesday (21/5). This match is akin to a World Cup final for both clubs. The winning team will also receive a "bonus" ticket to participate in the European Champions League next season.

It is not surprising that the Spurs have been focusing solely on that final match for a long time. They do not need to struggle to secure the fifth position in the English League for that prestigious ticket. The only obstacle remaining for them is the "Red Devils," the nickname for MU, which ironically is also struggling in the English League. MU is currently in 16th place, just one point ahead of the Spurs.

In order to perform at their best in the final, Spurs are willing to "sacrifice" matches in the English League. For instance, during the match against Villa, Postecoglou intentionally rested several key players, such as Solanke, Guglielmo Vicario, Brennan Johnson, Richarlison, and Pedro Porro. He aimed to prevent injuries to those players.

On the contrary, he provided more playing minutes for Heung-min so that he could regain his fitness after having been injured. "We still have time to prepare him (Heung-min). He is the catalyst of the team. He is also perhaps the one who understands best how valuable the trophy (Europa League) is for both the club and himself," said Postecoglou.

In contrast to Spurs, MU Manager Ruben Amorim has a different approach in deploying his players in the English League this weekend. He chose to field several key players, such as goalkeeper Andre Onana, Bruno Fernandes, and Rasmus Hojlund, during his team's match against Chelsea on Saturday early morning WIB.

However, MU ultimately lost 0-1 at Stamford Bridge Stadium, London. This defeat marks the 18th for MU in the English League this season, further confirming their worst season in 51 years, dating back to the 1973-1974 edition.

At the very least, according to Amorim, his players can feel the competitive atmosphere in that match. He believes this is important for sharpening their mentality ahead of the Europa League final. "We have five days to prepare for it (the final match). There is certainly pressure. However, I am accustomed to that pressure," said Amorim, who has collected two Liga Portugal championship trophies and three Liga Portugal Cup titles as a coach.

The final match in Bilbao could even determine the fate of the managers of both clubs, Postecoglou and Amorim. They could potentially lose their jobs if their teams lose in the upcoming match.

"Spurs lack momentum, as does MU. This could be the most extreme final in the Europa League. It would be a disaster if either of these clubs were to lose their manager," said Chris Sutton, a former English Premier League player, describing the magnitude of the upcoming Europa League final. (BBC/Reuters)