How did Premier League sides fare in the Europa League?
By Tom Vinall
The 24/25 Europa League got underway this week, with the competition using the same brand new "league phase" format as the Champions League, with sides now in one big 36 team league. They will play eight games, with four at home, and four away, playing each side just the one time. The final games will be played in the last week of January.
How did Premier League sides fare in the Europa League?
On Wednesday night, Manchester United welcomed FC Twente to Old Trafford, as Erik Ten Hag faced his former side. Steve McLaren, current Jamaica manager and former employee of both sides, was at the game as a guest of honour.
It was an uninspiring start for United, and Twente should have taken the lead after just eight minutes, but Sam Lammers hit the post. Regardless, they were able to take the lead through a moment of individual brilliance, as Christian Eriksen rolled back the years to curl a strike into the far corner ten minutes before the interval.
United still struggled to get a proper foothold on the game despite the lead, and midway through the second half, their visitors were level. Manuel Ugarte did well to stop a quick transition but after the ball fell to Eriksen, the Danish midfielder could not retain possession and gave the ball away to Lammers, who this time made no mistake and struck the ball inside Andre Onana's near post to give Twente a valuable point on the road, and strike further misery onto Erik Ten Hag.
On Thursday night, Spurs hosted Qarabag to kick off their campaign. It was the nightmare start for Ange Postecoglu's side, with Radu Dragusin picking up a straight red card for a last man foul. Nevertheless, it did not take them long to take the lead, as Brennan Johnson scored with a lovely sidefoot finish to make it three goals in three games.
Pape Matar Sarr made it 2-0 with a deflected effort early on in the second half, before Toral Bayramov missed a penalty to half the deficit. They would be made to pay, as Dominic Solanke made it two goals in as many games, after following up a parried effort from a Heung-Min Son strike.
These results leave Spurs in fourth place and Manchester United in twenty second after matchday one of the new league phase format.
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