“I don’t think he’ll turn up” - Martin Keown predicts Manchester United will lose Europa League final due to one player failing to shine

Football pundit Martin Keown has predicted that Manchester United will lose their upcoming UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday, May 21, to Tottenham Hotspur. The ex-Arsenal defender also mentioned that Bruno Fernandes may be the reason why the Red Devils will lose the match.

According to Keown (via Mirror), Fernandes will not 'turn up' in the upcoming game against Spurs, even though he has a lot of experience playing in cup finals. He has notably led Manchester United to victories in the FA Cup and EFL Cup finals in the past, and yet Keown feels that the Portuguese will not do well in this game.

"I think Spurs will win it, I honestly do. I know it could be a long night, maybe Manchester United will look for extra-time and penalties, but I feel like Spurs can win this. I don’t think he (Bruno Fernandes) will turn up on the night. I actually think Dominic Solanke might be the standout player. £65 million will be like a snip if they win it," said Keown.

To be played at the San Mames Barria in Bilbao, Spain, the Europa League final will see two teams from the Premier League, ensuring another Champions League berth for England next season. United, coincidentally, played Athletic Bilbao at the same venue in the semifinals and beat them 3-0.

United defeated Bilbao by a 7-1 scoreline across both legs of the semifinals to book their berth in the marquee clash. Keown's statements seem surprising, especially as Fernandes scored two goals and bagged an assist across the two legs of the semifinal and seems to be in fine form. He has scored 19 times and assisted on 17 occasions across all competitions so far this term.

Manchester United have won the Europa League once

Both Manchester United and Tottenham come into the big final on the back of disappointing losses in the Premier League. While United were beaten 0-1 by Chelsea away from home on Friday, May 16, Spurs suffered a 0-2 loss to Aston Villa on Sunday.

United head coach Ruben Amorim chose to play his first-choice XI in the fixture against Chelsea, which will mean a lesser recovery for his players for Wednesday. Spurs, however, rotated their first-team squad in light of the upcoming final.

United have won the title only once in the past, under former manager Jose Mourinho in 2016-17. However, they have fresh memories of losing the 2020-21 final to Spanish club Villarreal, which they will aim to erase against Spurs.