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Spain’s Bilbao After a lengthy trophy drought, Tottenham Hotspur finally gave their supporters some pleasure on Wednesday when they defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final in Bilbao. In a game that was lacking in quality but was crucial for the North London team, Brennan Johnson’s tenacious goal in the first half proved to be the difference. According to Goal.com, it was their first trophy since they won the League Cup in 2008.

Expectations were low heading into the final since Spurs had failed to rediscover their form for a large portion of the season. Nevertheless, in the build-up, manager Ange Postecoglou had spoken with confidence, citing his track record of winning trophies in his second season at teams. He was ultimately shown to be correct.

Both teams started the game with considerable offensive intent, but their respective Premier League rankings of 16th and 17th made it obvious that they lacked confidence, and the game quickly became rough. There were few obvious opportunities, and neither team was able to establish any kind of rhythm.

Shortly before halftime, the pivotal moment occurred. Pape Sarr attempted to hit Johnson with a ball that was played into the United penalty area. Although the forward was not touched cleanly, his presence was confusing. Johnson was able to push the ball past United goalkeeper Andre Onana and into the net after Luke Shaw was unable to clear the danger. Although it wasn’t a very lovely goal, it was plenty to give Spurs the lead.

Manchester United made an effort to advance and try to equalize in the second half. They had trouble generating obvious chances, however. Guglielmo Vicario, the goalkeeper for Tottenham, dropped a basic pass, delivering it right to Rasmus Hojlund, giving them one of their finest opportunities. Micky van de Ven’s incredible acrobatic clearance on the line kept Spurs ahead despite the Danish striker’s looping header seemed to have headed in.

Alejandro Garnacho was brought in by United as the minutes passed in the hopes that his quickness and vigor would alter the outcome. His direct runs concerned Spurs right-back Pedro Porro straight away, but like the rest of the game, Spurs remained tight and composed under duress, so his effect diminished.

Tottenham played a game that wasn’t really elegant or dominating, but they had to do it. Players, supporters, and their manager celebrated the last whistle after 17 arduous years without a trophy. Now, he can add European trophies to his increasing list of accomplishments.

In addition to providing Spurs with a much-needed morale boost during a challenging domestic campaign, the victory guarantees them a spot in the Champions League for the next season, which might help the team turn things around.