Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United

About the Drawing

The 2025 UEFA Europa League Final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United was a match full of movement, interruptions and constant changes of momentum. Tottenham's 1–0 victory ended a seventeen-year wait for a major trophy and brought the club its first European title since 1984.

Listening to the match on English radio, what struck me most was its rhythm. Manchester United had more possession and seemed to spend much of the evening attacking, while Tottenham remained patient, looking to break quickly on the counter attack. The game never seemed to settle. There were free kicks, throw-ins and sudden changes of direction throughout, giving the drawing an unusually lively pace.

One defensive moment has stayed with me as clearly as the goal itself. Micky van de Ven's remarkable goal-line clearance felt almost as important as Brennan Johnson's winner. It was one of those moments that reminded everyone that matches can be decided just as much by a defender as by a goalscorer.

The radio commentary had its own rhythm too. Between the football came the familiar advertisements, and one in particular has stayed with me ever since: "If you have a plan, we have a van." Even now I can't hear those words without thinking of this final. Those small moments become woven into the memory of making the drawing, just as much as the football itself.

Whenever I look at this drawing, I remember a match that never quite stopped moving. It was brilliantly chaotic, and perhaps that is exactly why it has stayed with me.