Man United to face Tottenham in season-saving Europa League final

The Premier League's 15th and 16th best teams will battle to save their seasons in the Europa League final on May 21.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur scored lopsided aggregate victories over Athletic Bilbao and Bodo/Glimt on Thursday to give themselves a chance of winning silverware at the end of a deflating campaign that £350 million worth of signings has otherwise done little to prevent.

United manager Ruben Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag in November, famously called his group the "worst" United team in Premier League history, while Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou dealt with scathing criticism as he navigated a severe injury crisis. But the Europa League was always an escape hatch for both managers.

A win at Bilbao's San Mames not only promises a major trophy - which Tottenham haven't won in 17 years - but a place in next season's Champions League and tens of millions of pounds in additional revenue.

United and Spurs will wage the sixth all-English final in UEFA competition history and the first since Chelsea beat Manchester City to win the Champions League in 2021.

United showed particular swagger Thursday at Old Trafford, running away 7-1 on aggregate thanks to a 4-1 home win. All the while, Tottenham shut out Bodo/Glimt 2-0 to ensure a 5-1 aggregate triumph and eliminate the competition's first semifinalist from the Nordic circle.

Mikel Jauregizar's 31st-minute drive from distance gave Athletic some hope they could overturn their 3-0 first-leg deficit, but it only coaxed an even stronger reaction from the hosts. Mason Mount, who's missed dozens of games due to injury since joining United from Chelsea in July 2023 for a reported £55 million, scored twice off the bench. Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund also tallied.

"It's the least we can do for these fans, for all the support they have given us in this tough season," Amorim told TNT Sports. "I'm stressed already because of the final. Because if you don't win it, in the end, it (means) nothing. But we're happy to be there, so let's see."

Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro netted in the second half in Norway as Postecoglou inched closer to a trophy in his second season in charge of Tottenham.