Can Tottenham Hotspur turn things around with a victory in the UEFA Europa League? Tottenham's current chance of winning is assessed at 17%, as they are relying on their last hope on the European stage.
The football content production company "Score90" announced on the 17th (Korea time) the UEFA Europa League winning odds based on the dividends of a bookmaker. The team with the highest chance this season is Athletic Club from Spain's La Liga, with a 20% chance of winning. Athletic, who achieved a dramatic turnaround victory against AS Roma in the Round of 16, will face Rangers in the quarterfinals.
Manchester United ranked second with a 19% chance. Although they have underperformed in the Premier League, they showed strength in the UEFA Europa League by defeating Real Sociedad in the Round of 16. Manchester United's quarterfinal opponent is Olympique Lyon from France.
Lazio from Italy and Tottenham both recorded a 17% chance, placing them tied for third. Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham's opponent in the quarterfinals, recorded an 11% chance, taking fifth place. Additionally, Score90 estimated Tottenham's chances of advancing to the quarterfinals ahead of Frankfurt at 55%.
This UEFA Europa League is essentially Tottenham's last chance. They have been eliminated from both the League Cup (Carabao Cup) and the FA Cup, and they have fallen behind in the race for the top in the Premier League. Currently, with 34 points (10 wins, 4 draws, 15 losses), they remain in 14th place and have recorded 1 draw and 2 losses in their last three league matches, continuing to struggle.
The gap with the relegation zone is also not large. They are currently tied on points with West Ham and Everton, merely ahead in goal difference. They have recorded 15 losses in 29 league matches, the most since the 2008-2009 season.
Tottenham's remaining schedule is challenging. They face strong teams and tough opponents, including Chelsea, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Crystal Palace. If they cannot turn the current flow around, they are likely to linger at the bottom until the end of the season.
The outlook for the UEFA Europa League is also not bright. Jamie O'Hara, a football expert from Tottenham, noted, "Tottenham's performance has been inconsistent throughout the season. Frankfurt is a strong team, and if they are eliminated, a departure from manager Ange Postecoglou will be inevitable."
In fact, Tottenham is already looking for a successor to manager Postecoglou. The British "Telegraph" reported, "If Tottenham dismisses Postecoglou, Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola and Fulham's Marco Silva have emerged as candidates."
The media added, "Pressure is mounting on manager Postecoglou. The UEFA Europa League will be a crucial variable that determines his future. If Tottenham wins, they can secure not only the trophy but also a spot in the UEFA Champions League (UCL)."
Tottenham fans have also lost trust in manager Postecoglou. Some fans are strongly insisting, "Postecoglou should be dismissed immediately."
Interestingly, the AI chatbot "ChatGPT" predicted Tottenham would win the UEFA Europa League. According to Score90, ChatGPT anticipated that Tottenham would face Real Sociedad in the finals after the first leg of the Round of 16, with Son Heung-min scoring the decisive goal for a dramatic victory.
Real Sociedad was eliminated after losing to Manchester United, so ChatGPT's prediction was off. However, since Tottenham is still in the tournament, we cannot conclude that the AI's forecast is entirely wrong.
If Tottenham clinches the UEFA Europa League title, Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) will experience his first major tournament victory after playing for Tottenham for 10 years.
His only title in his career is the gold medal from the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. Tottenham has not claimed a single trophy in 17 years since winning the League Cup in 2008.
It remains to be seen whether this UEFA Europa League can become a historic moment for Tottenham and Son Heung-min, and whether manager Postecoglou can turn the team around.
[OSEN]