Both teams ahead of the Europa League final failed to turn the tide. It was the last rehearsal for those aiming for victory, but both teams were a mess.

Manchester United lost 0-1 to Chelsea in the 37th round of the 2024-2025 Premier League held at Stamford Bridge in London, UK, on the 17th (Korean time). On the same day, in an earlier match, Tottenham also suffered a 0-2 defeat to Aston Villa. This was the last real match before reaching the final. The result was devastating, and the content was bleak.

Manchester United has not won in eight consecutive league matches. Following losses to Nottingham Forest (0-1), Manchester City (0-0), Newcastle (1-4), Wolverhampton (0-1), Bournemouth (1-1), Brentford (3-4), West Ham (0-2), and now Chelsea. This is a third consecutive loss and eight winless matches in the league. There has not been a single victory.

The attacking power is serious. With this match, United has gone scoreless in a league match a total of 15 times this season. This is the second most in the league, following Leicester City (16 matches). Leicester has already been confirmed for relegation. This statistic clearly shows where Manchester United currently stands.

The match against Chelsea was no different. Manchester United, who started in a 3-4-2-1 formation, had Rasmus Hojlund at the front and Mason Mount and Amad Diallo in the two-line. However, they managed only four shots in the entire 90 minutes, with just one shot on target. In the 16th minute of the first half, Harry Maguire shook the net with a fantastic play, but the goal was canceled due to a VAR offside decision. After that, it was hard to find any threatening scenes.

Rather, in the 26th minute of the second half, a cross from the right flank by Reece James was headed in by Marc Cucurella to open the scoring for Chelsea. Coach Ruben Amorim substituted Mount and Casemiro for Alejandro Garnacho and Manuel Ugarte, but was unable to change the course of the game. Even the substitutions lacked substance.

The more painful aspect is that Coach Amorim operated the full squad without rotation ahead of the Europa League final. Despite using most of the starters and still losing, the substitutes also lacked impact. Only physical burdens piled up, and the outcome was not achieved.

During stoppage time in the second half, there was an intrusion from spectators, further disrupting the atmosphere of the match, and ultimately, United boarded the flight to Bilbao in humiliation.

An hour earlier, Tottenham faced Aston Villa away and achieved the same result. Son Heung-min returned to the starting lineup for the first time in about a month and played 74 minutes to regain his form, but could not prevent the team's lethargy. Coach Ange Postecoglou sought to check Son Heung-min's match fitness but ended up with a 0-2 loss, enduring a six-match winless streak in the league (1 draw, 5 losses) and a record of the most losses in the Premier League (21 losses).

In the match against Villa, Son Heung-min at least created a few threatening moments, which was better than Manchester United. However, there was a lack of tactical organization or finishing ability, and the substitutes that came in after conceding in the second half, Dominic Solanke, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Richarlison, could not create a turnaround.

Now, the two teams are set to face off in the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League final at Estadio San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain, on the 22nd. However, after finishing their last league match, their condition is not that of 'a finalist.' The attack is blocked, the organization is loose, and the atmosphere is heavy.

In the final, where they face off with their last pride on the European stage, their current appearance does not look like two teams fighting for a trophy, but rather like 'two teams accustomed to losing.'

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