BY Idris Shehu
Nerve-wracking. A football game almost as long as an Indian movie. Regular time finished at 1-1 and the game lumbered into extra time. Nothing could separate them still. Then penalty kicks. Unending, until David de Gea placed his own into the palms of Gerónimo Rulli.
Villarreal players wheeled about the Polsat Plus Arena, Gdansk, in celebration. Their yellow jerseys adding more colour to the already resplendent football that the fans had just enjoyed.
The 2020/21 Europa League final gave a pulsating showdown and here are 5 talking points from the game:
Chukwueze sorely missed
The Villarreal set-up was terribly affected by Samuel Chukwueze’s absence. Chukwueze, who missed the tie due to a hamstring injury suffered in the semi-final, has always been a significant cog in the team’s attack in recent seasons.
His pace and guile on the ball provide the Yellow Submarine with an outlet for quick counterattacks, especially against a side committing players forward.
After the first goal, Villarreal dropped deep and a desperate Man United side poured out in search of an equaliser, leaving pockets of spaces for exploitation. But the trio of Gerard Moreno, Carlos Bacca and Yeremi Pino failed to take advantage of these openings.
Cavani justifying his contract extension
On May 10, Edison Cavani’s stay at Old Trafford was extended by another year. A 34-year-old getting another contract at a top club like Manchester United would normally raise eyebrows, but Cavani’s performance had justified the decision.
The Uruguayan’s 16 goals in 16 starts for the Red Devils shows he’s more than worthy of the bet.
He proved that even further on Wednesday when he became the third player aged 34 or above to score in a major European final for an English club, after Gary McAllister, 36, for Liverpool in 2000/01 UEFA Cup final and Didier Drogba, 34, for Chelsea in the 2011/12 Champions League final.
A Marcus Rashford volley took a couple of deflections and ricocheted into the path of Cavani, who rolled it past Rulli into the net.
Unai Emery, the Europa League specialist
The Spaniard has been involved in five finals in eight years, winning four. Three consecutive times with Sevilla between 2014 to 2016 and 2021 with Villarreal.
With the victory, he doubled his tally as the most successful manager in the history of the competition.
Can Ole Gunnar Solskjaer take Man Utd any further?
This was Solskjaer’s first final as a United manager and he’s been at the club for almost three years. His best achievement so far is coming a distant second as Manchester City, their city rival, sauntered to the 2020/21 Premier League trophy.
In a club of United’s stature, performances are judged by silverware as Jose Mourinho, Solskjaer’s predecessor, learnt after finishing the 2017/18 trophy-less. He was sacked midway through the following season when things seemed unchanged.
The Norwegian, however, has been a lucky recipient of goodwill and tolerance. But how long till the thirst for success overwhelm patience?
Could that be de Gea’s final kick for United?
All good things must come to an end. The penalty kick might be David de Gea’s final play in United’s colour. Even before Rulli dived to his right to parry the strike from going in; even before the match or the beginning of the season, De Gea had known his time at the club was fast ticking away, especially since Dean Henderson was recalled to Old Trafford from his loan spell at Sheffield United.
The Spaniard has been relieved of some responsibilities by Solksjaer who publicly referred to Henderson as “future number 1”.
This might just be the coup de grace to a goalkeeper whose recent gaffes lost him his position in the Spanish national team.
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