Booked for Bilbao

We did it! Spurs Men are headed to the Europa League final in Bilbao on May 21.

The semi-final away leg against Bodø/Glimt ended up being far less fraught than we feared, thank goodness. Besides a brief flurry of activity in Spurs' defensive third, we were mostly able to neutralize the attacking threat from the home team and added two goals to our aggregate advantage. It's always a relief when the better team on paper actually plays better on the pitch. No funny business, just focus and determination.

In this issue: Bodø/Glimt recap | Previewing the weekend fixtures | News from around the Lane

While the Men's team has ensured there's still something valuable to play for this season, Spurs Women have far lower stakes for their final WSL match on Saturday. Then there's the final London derby for Spurs Men on Sunday to round off the weekend.

Europa League Semi-final Away Leg recap | Bodø/Glimt 0 - 2 Tottenham (1-5 on aggregate)

Solanke 63', Porro 69'

For all the worries about the artificial pitch and our opponent's bolstered midfield, Spurs hardly had to get out of first gear to secure the second win of the two-legged tie. The players chose their moments well and were efficient in front of goal—and far away from the goal, in Porro's case. For the record, I absolutely think he meant to shoot, not cross. His eyes were on the goal! And let's be real, we should know by now that he's capable of scoring from any type of angle.

Starting XI:

Since we are long past the juncture at which Destiny Udogie regained his starting spot from Djed Spence, the only real judgment call here was starting Richarlison at left winger once again over Mathys Tel.

I don't hate the decision of Richarlison over Tel, honestly. Although they have about an equal amount of European competition experience (in fact, Tel has the edge with 18 Champions League appearances at Bayern compared to Richarlison's six with Spurs, and almost the same number of Europa League games apiece this season), there's no denying that Richarlison is the more tactically mature player at this point in their respective careers. There's also the matter of Tel's position at the club not yet being secure, making him more vulnerable to focusing on his individual game rather than what the team needs; it would be understandable for him to want to prove himself if he's indeed hoping to stay at Spurs past his loan. That may sound harsh on the young player, but I suspect those were the kinds of factors that Ange Postecoglou had to consider when making his team selection for such an important game. There's also the matter of their differing profiles at the winger position. Richarlison's hold-up play made him a more natural fit for this game's tactical challenges. As it happened, Tel still got plenty of gametime as the first substitute.

Top three things:

1. Handling the artificial turf. The players did not seem taken by surprise by the conditions of the pitch like they did in the Tamworth FA Cup game earlier this season. I can't imagine they purposefully trained on a plastic pitch because the injury risk wouldn't justify it, but they at least knew what to expect this time, and Postecoglou made the necessary adaptations to the team's style of play to minimize the chance of an unlucky bounce or slippery pass causing unpredictable issues.
2. Disciplined defense. Likewise, they didn't take anything for granted when it came to defending, remaining vigilant to the possibility of unforced errors and staying resolute. Bodø/Glimt didn't have a huge amount of scoring opportunities, but considering that they came at the most dangerous times of the game (just before and after halftime and then right at the end), the players showed an admirable knack for game management that hasn't always been evident this season.
3. Solanke's hot streak continues. Dominic Solanke's close-range shot made it four goals in his last five games (albeit two of them penalties). I think we were all a little concerned about his goal drought mid-season, but he's hitting his stride again right when it matters most.

And a big-picture topic:

I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but I'm a little exasperated by the idea that we're one game away from finding out whether this was the worst season or the best season in a very long time. For me, it's not that simple. We could certainly mark our best achievement in many years, but the Europa League title can't (and shouldn't) completely paper over the underperformance in the league. Believe me, I'm just as eager as everyone else for Spurs to finally break the trophy drought, and I will celebrate it with my whole heart if it happens. But I think we set a poor precedent if we decide a successful cup run is worth the league campaign becoming a moot point. One season? Sure, it could be an aberration. Season after season, though? The 38-game league will quickly become an unbearable slog. If we can't manage to juggle multiple competitions, there are bigger issues than a temporary injury crisis alone could cause. Just my two cents.

Of course, this is the high-risk, high-reward path that Ange Postecoglou and the club decided to take. We'll only know if it paid off after the outcome of the final is said and done. I sincerely hope the gamble pays off, because things could get very toxic if not.

SAtP Player of the Match: Cristian Romero

With the weight of the captaincy on his shoulders since Son Heung-min and James Maddison are both out injured, Romero stepped up, including contributing the assist for the opening goal. His determination to get involved in the attack in both legs of the tie made a huge difference; recall that he drew the foul for Solanke's penalty in the home leg in addition to directly assisting him in this away leg.

Notable & quotable:

• Porro scored his second goal of the Europa League knockout stages, while Solanke netted his third in the knockouts and fifth in the overall competition.

• Bodø/Glimt's captain, Patrick Berg (who only got to play in the second leg due to a suspension for the first) was honest in his post-match assessment:

It is a big anticlimax for us... It is fully deserved that Tottenham progress. We've been preparing for a week and we really believed it was possible—then we face a Tottenham team that is extremely experienced... We have to use that as motivation. We have met a level that we have not met before, both physically and tactically.

• Postecoglou reflected on the performance and the importance of the outcome:

I thought the lads were outstanding tonight, well prepared, disciplined, organised, as you need to be, because it’s a difficult place to come to, we knew that, they have a great home record, but the way the guys handled it all was outstanding, so, great pride and joy as well, because we know what it does for our supporters. There were a few hundred here tonight, they won’t forget it, and thousands back home that we’ve now given them some hope, something to dream about, and we’ll now look forward to the next couple of weeks and preparing for a big game.

• Micky van de Ven spoke on what it means to the team to reach a final:

It’s been a really tough season, as I said, like for the whole squad, the guys falling out [injured], the guys who couldn't be here, but it's also been a big part for us in this European campaign and everybody did an unbelievable job, so now it’s just one more game to go and, of course, we have two league games before the final, but still, it's one game away from a trophy.

• And Solanke chimed in as well, after noting his "relief" at scoring the opening goal:

It means everything. Obviously, it's been a tough season, especially in the league, but we've put performances together in Europe and ultimately, we’re one game away from a trophy now—the club’s waited for years, the fans have waited for years. We really want it as well, so, one more to go and hopefully we can do it.

• James Maddison described himself as "gutted" to not be able to take part in the final but added:

Injuries are just part of this game that can be so cruel at times. But I truly believe that it can be a special night for my football club. Bring on the 21st. All together.

Previewing WSL Matchday 22 — Everton

Thank god, we've made it.

Speaking of seasons that have felt like a slog, this has undeniably been a disappointing campaign for Spurs Women—on all fronts. We didn't make an extended run in either cup; we fell out of the "best of the rest" mid-table pack many weeks ago; and even worse than seeing many of the players fail to progress, it seems like many of them have gone backwards in their development. Fans have understandably begun to have doubts about Robert Vilahamn's management as well as the club's ambition for the Women's team.

But before I go into full post-mortem mode in my WSL season recap issue, let's get through this final Women's Super League game first.

We have never won away at Everton in any competition. It would be great to finally break that streak and end the season on a rare high note.

It won't be an easy task, with Everton on a positive trajectory with new ownership and their manager, Brian Sørensen, recently handed a contract extension. They've already showcased how savvy their recruitment can be with the exciting January signing of Kelly Gago, and with more investment promised this summer, they could be a sleeping giant in the WSL.

On a fortunate note, Sara Holmgaard will be suspended for our matchup after picking up a second yellow card in the Merseyside derby (which Everton won 0-2 at Anfield). Her twin sister scored in that match, so the Holmgaard threat is not entirely neutralized.

Although we were not fortunate enough to see Kit Graham make a triumphant return from her pre-season ACL injury, Aurora Galli surprisingly made it into Everton's matchday squad last weekend for the first time since her own ACL injury on matchday 1. She will therefore be in contention to make her first appearance back against Spurs this weekend.

In addition to Graham, Hayley Raso and Luana Bühler will both miss out on the last matchday squad for Spurs. The latter is targeting a return from injury in the upcoming Euros with Switzerland.

As noted in Vilahman's press conference, Molly Bartrip will have started every WSL match this season if she starts tomorrow. Martha Thomas is the only other player who could have featured in every game if she plays as well, though not all of her appearances were starts.

Don't forget it's an early kickoff for this match, and available to stream on YouTube if you can't make it to Liverpool.

Previewing PL Matchday 36 — Crystal Palace

I hope Palace enjoy their derby win.

I jest, but not really. This is just the bargain we've made in hopes of Europa League glory.

Now, I don't have a problem with Ange Postecoglou playing some of the players we assume will be starting in the Europa League final. We don't want them to get rusty, it's true. But I swear to god, if he doesn't utilize his full allotment of substitutions, I will be very upset. There is truly no need for some of these guys to be playing full 90s in the Premier League right now. And besides, the young players in the squad could really benefit from the game time. I think we'll get a more enjoyable game with more of the "B team" on the pitch anyway, from an effort perspective.

The club isn't even pretending to care about this game, to the point of not putting out the obligatory Friday team news update. So, I guess we don't have any new injuries? I sure hope not.

And honestly, who cares what Palace are up to? With a win in this game, they can guarantee finishing ahead of us in the PL table this season, but we have an actual prize to play for. The only thing distinguishing between our respective levels of league mediocrity is that we could be European champions in just under two weeks' time.

News from around the Lane

• The club is hosting a screening of the Europa League final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Tickets go on sale next week.

• Guglielmo Vicario won Premier League Save of the Month for April. Congratulations, Venom!

• The Men's Academy U18s have their final league game of the season tomorrow. A win would secure a top-five finish for the third straight year. The game will not be streaming on SpursPlay, unfortunately.

Okay, it was a quick turnaround for this issue, so apologies for my relative brevity in such a momentous week. But as ever,

COYS

Thank you for reading!

If you’re enjoying the newsletter, make sure to sign up for a free subscription to receive new issues in your inbox. You can also buy me a Ko-fi to support my writing with a one-time tip. Your support keeps Spurs Across the Pond running and is much appreciated!

You can also find me on Bluesky and podcasting at N17 Women and The Tottenham Depot.