Sheff Utd 0-3 Tottenham: Spurs ease past bottom side to finish fifth and secure Europa League qualification

Report and free highlights as Spurs finish fifth to secure Europa League qualification; Dejan Kulusevski's double and Pedro Porro's thunderous goal see Spurs ease past bottom-side Sheffield United with a 3-0 win at Bramall Lane; Spurs to play in the Europa League for first time since 2021

Sunday 19 May 2024 19:53, UK

Dejan Kulusevski's double helped Tottenham to a 3-0 final-day win at bottom-side Sheffield United to secure fifth place and Europa League qualification.

Spurs needed to avoid defeat at the already-relegated Blades to finish fifth and any early nerves for Ange Postecoglou's side were settled in the 14th minute as Kulusevski arrowed in an opener off the post.

Pedro Porro then thundered in a second in the 59th minute, with the victory made safe just six minutes later as Kulusevski finished off James Maddison's pull back.

Player ratings

Sheff Utd: Foderingham (7); Ahmedhodzic (5), Trusty (5), Robinson (5); Bogle (5), Hamer (6), Arblaster (6), Osborn (n/a), Lowe (6); Archer (5), Brereton Diaz (6).

Subs: Souza (6), Brooks (6), Brewster (6), Holgate (6), Jebbison (6).

Tottenham: Vicario (6); Porro (8), Romero (7), Dragusin (7), Van de Ven (7); Bentancur (7), Sarr (6), Maddison (7); Kulusevski (9), Son (7), Johnson (6).

Subs: Hojbjerg (6), Royal (6), Skipp (6), Scarlett (n/a), Moore (n/a).

Player of the match: Dejan Kulusevski.

Tottenham's victory ensured they will play Europa League football next season to make a return to the competition for the first time since 2021.

Postecolgou's side will now jet off to Australia for a post-season friendly against Newcastle at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

Sheffield United, meanwhile, return to the Championship after finishing bottom with just 16 points and a goal difference of -69, having conceded 104 goals.

How Spurs got the job done to seal Europa League qualification

Spurs made a slow and nervy start at Bramall Lane as Ben Brereton Diaz fired over in the third minute with the Blades looking to finish their horror season on a high.

But the home side conceded to Tottenham's first shot on target in the 14th minute as Kulusevski drilled across Wes Foderingham with the ball going in off the post.

The Swede's opener settled Spurs down as they pushed for a second with three chances missed in the space of a minute as Rodrigo Bentancur hit the post followed by a Foderingham save to deny Heung-Min Son's volley before Cristian Romero prodded Porro's cross wide.

Sheffield United remained dangerous as Cameron Archer dragged a deflected shot wide following a counter-attack before half-time.

But any doubts over a Spurs victory were allayed for the travelling support when Porro hammered home early in the second half.

Kuluevski then added his second, guiding an effort under Foderingham from Maddison's cross meaning the Blades matched Derby's record worst goal difference of the Premier League era from their relegation season in 2007/08.

Chris Wilder's side's afternoon looked to have got worse when referee Andy Madeley showed a red card to substitute Andre Brooks in the 76th minute after he clashed with Son at a corner, but Madeley overturned his decision after being sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR.

Spurs then saw out the game to to earn a fifth-placed finish in Postecoglou's first year in charge, with the Australian now planning for European football next season.

Ange looking to push on next season

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou in his post-match press conference:

"It is a great challenge in the Premier League and taking over a big club that didn't have a great year last year, you understand it is not going to run smoothly," Postecoglou said.

"I have enjoyed the whole season. I have got some lofty ambitions for the football club and until we reach that point I am not going to be smiling too much.

"I have enjoyed it and looking forward to pushing on from here.

"I am obviously not delighted with the way we finished the season but in fairness to the players and staff we have been in the top five all season, in a year where there was a fair bit of upheaval.

"We finished eighth last year, player turnover, different football, different way of training, it is not easy to maintain a level when you are trying to do that.

"Even in our tough periods this year we have still been competitive for the most part. I think I have got maximum effort, which is all a manager can ask for."

Wilder: My biggest challenge lies ahead

Sheff Utd boss Chris Wilder in his post-match press conference:

"We don't take chances and then any opportunity the opposition gets to put us to bed they take. The first half an hour summed our season up.

"There was a familiarity of what happened, great chances, should be two up, then one mistake leads to two, to three.

"When adversity strikes we haven't been able to dig our way out of it. The league has been too strong for us, we can't get away from that.

"We have to work hard during the summer to get ourselves in the position Leeds and Southampton have got of giving themselves an opportunity to come back up.

"This is my biggest challenge that lies ahead, I am the most determined and committed that I have ever been to get right and create a team that everyone can recognise and represents us."

Opta stats: Spurs defeat deepens Sheff Utd's horror season

Sheffield United won just three games and 16 points in the Premier League this term (D7 L28) with only Derby County in 2007-08 (1) winning fewer matches in a single campaign and only the Rams in that same season (11) and Sunderland in 2005-06 (15) recording fewer points in a single season in the competition's history.
Sheffield United conceded 57 Premier League goals at Bramall Lane this season, the most ever home goals conceded by a team in a single top-flight campaign; meanwhile the Blades' final goal difference of -69 is the joint-worst by a side in a Premier League campaign (level with Derby County in 2007-08) with only Darwen in 1891-92 (-74) ever posting a worse goal difference overall in the top-flight.
Sheffield United suffered their sixth home defeat by a 3+ goal margin of this Premier League season, the joint-most such losses by a team in a single campaign. They also become just the third team to lose their final seven matches of a Premier League season after Sunderland in 2002-03 (lost last 15) and Norwich in 2019-20 (lost last 10).

When does the 2024/25 Premier League season start?

The 2023/24 season has reached its conclusion but planning has already started for the new campaign.

Several Premier League sides have confirmed pre-season friendlies ahead of the 2024/25 term, which kicks off on the weekend of August 17/18, while others have given fresh kits an early airing.

The Premier League fixtures - all 380 of them - will be released at 9am on Tuesday, June 18, with full coverage on Sky Sports News and Sky Sports' digital platforms.

The new EFL season starts on the weekend of August 10/11 and marks the launch of Sky Sports+, giving more choice to sports fans via live streams and a new dedicated channel, at no extra cost. In a broadcasting first, every EFL game across all three divisions - the Championship, League One and League Two - will be streamed live on the opening weekend.

Stand by for another busy summer in the transfer window - clubs can do business from June 14 until August 30 and the Sky Sports Transfer Centre will keep you posted with all the latest news and rumours.

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