Tottenham vs Man United LIVE: Europa League final build-up and updates as fans descend on Bilbao after travel chaos – UK Times

Rory McIlroy will be in attendance at the Europa League final after his media no-show at last week’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.

McIlroy endured a tough week in Charlotte, finishing T-47 after barely making the cut, and the Northern Irishman opted not to speak with the media on each of the four playing days.

But the Manchester United fan has travelled to Bilbao to watch his side in the final against Tottenham, stopping for a picture with friend and caddy Harry Diamond, United legend Rio Ferdinand and TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher.

Manchester United remain the only unbeaten side in major European competition this season, winning nine and drawing five of their 14 Europa League games.

They are looking to become only the fourth side to win the Europa League without losing a single match that campaign, after Chelsea in 2018-19, Villarreal in 2020-21, and Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021-22.

Tottenham have won all three of their meetings with Manchester United in all competitions so far this season, twice in the Premier League and once in the League Cup.

The only opponent Spurs have ever won four games against in a single campaign were Manchester City in 1992-93, while the only side to beat the Red Devils four times in a single season were Everton in 1985-86.

United made an inauspicious start to the new-look group phase under Erik ten Hag, whose former club Twente secured a shock 1-1 Old Trafford draw in September.

Harry Maguire’s late goal saw the 10-man Red Devils record a 3-3 draw at Porto the following month, before Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce held them to a 1-1 stalemate in Turkey.

After Ten Hag was sacked, interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy oversaw the end of United’s 380-day wait for a European win by beating PAOK 2-0 at Old Trafford, where Ruben Amorim took charge for the first time in the hard-fought 3-2 triumph against eventual semi-finalists Bodo/Glimt.

Tottenham have conceded 61 goals, only the sixth time they have topped 60 in a Premier League season. Similarly to United, they will not match their worst defensive record unless they let in five on Sunday – but just two would equal their second-worst tally, 63 in 2022-23.

Having scored 63, they could become the first team ever to finish as low as 17th in the Premier League with a positive goal difference. Manchester City were 16th in 2003-04 with a goal difference of plus-one.

Manager Ange Postecoglou said in September that “I always win things in my second year. Nothing’s changed”. Wednesday provides a final opportunity to maintain that record, hvaing won trophies with South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar, Yokohama F. Marinos, Celtic and Australia’s under-17, under-20 and senior sides.

Spurs are not yet guaranteed their lowest Premier League position, having finished 15th in 1993-94 and 14th on two other occasions. Lying 17th, though, they must beat Brighton and hope United, Wolves and West Ham do not all win.

They have won just 11 games, with one final chance to avoid matching their lowest total. Their 21 defeats are already two more than in any other season in the Premier League era.

They will finish with fewer points than ever before, with 38 currently and a maximum of 41. Their previous low was 44 in 1997-98, with 45 in a 42-game season in 1993-94.

Man Utd will finish with their lowest Premier League goal tally, barring an improbable seven against Villa to equal their 49 in 2015-16. Only twice have they conceded more than this season’s 54, with 57 in 2021-22 and a record 58 last season.

Unless Bruno Fernandes scores two goals or Amad Diallo three against Villa, this will be the first Premier League season with no United player reaching double figures.

United sacked manager Erik ten Hag in October, just four months after extending his contract. Replacement Ruben Amorim has lost as many games as he has won in all competitions, 15, with his 37.5 per cent win rate the worst of any Red Devils manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure.

Manchester United’s eighth-placed finish last season was their worst of the Premier League era but they currently lie 16th and the highest they can finish this season is 14th, if they win their final game and both Wolves and West Ham fail to win.

They will also finish with their fewest wins and points – a maximum of 11 and 42 respectively if they beat Aston Villa, compared to their previous record lows of 16 wins and 58 points in 2021-22.

Their 18 defeats are their most of the Premier League era, already four more than last season’s previous worst, while their current eight-match winless league run beats a record of seven set back in 1992.

The Spurs captain had this to say about lifting the Europa League trophy: “It would be very special and would be a historic moment but I [have been] here 10 years and I just want to win the trophy, which nobody has done in the 10 years I have been here.

“Tomorrow is going to be a massive day for the club and the boys and for me as well.”