Friday’s Recap: Manchester United And Tottenham Into Europa League Last 16

Manchester United secured their spot in the last 16 of the Europa League, finishing the group stage unbeaten.

Meanwhile, Tottenham scored three goals in the second half to achieve a victory over Elfsborg and also advance.

Arsenal found themselves in trouble for failing to manage their players following Myles Lewis-Skelly’s contentious red card last weekend.

United finish unbeaten

Kobbie Mainoo put on a show as he scored and assisted in Manchester United’s 2-0 win over FCSB in Romania as Ruben Amorim saw United end the league phase campaign with five straight wins.

United had already secured a spot in the knockout phase before their eighth and final group match.

However, their strong second-half display was rewarded with goals from Diogo Dalot and Mainoo, allowing them to advance directly to the last 16.

The Red Devils were the only team in the competition to remain unbeaten through their eight matches and victory sealed a third-placed finish in the new-look 36-team league phase.

Kids shine for Spurs

Academy graduates Dane Scarlett, Damola Ajayi, and Mikey Moore each scored their first goals for Tottenham, contributing to a 3-0 victory over Elfsborg. This win ensured the club’s progression into the last 16 of the Europa League.

Spurs only needed a point to avoid next month’s play-off phase and Scarlett and Ajayi climbed off the bench to help Ange Postecoglou secure a much-needed victory.

Scarlett scored four minutes after his second-half introduction with a superb header for his first Tottenham goal on his 18th appearance.

Ajayi, who is a regular for the Under-21s, added a brilliant second goal six minutes before the end of the match, while Moore secured the victory to help Spurs finish in fourth place in the league phase.

Arsenal has been charged

Arsenal has been charged for failing to manage their players following Myles Lewis-Skelly’s contentious red card during their win against Wolves last Saturday.

Gunners players surrounded referee Michael Oliver following the dismissal, which has since been overturned following an appeal.

The FA said in a statement, “Arsenal FC has been charged after its players surrounded a match official during their Premier League fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers FC on Saturday, 25 January.

“The club allegedly failed to ensure that its players did not behave improperly around the 43rd minute.”

Oliver’s decision was widely criticized by pundits, with Alan Shearer calling it “one of the worst decisions that I’ve seen in a long time.”

The FA released its written reasons for overturning the decision on Thursday, confirming Lewis-Skelly’s challenge should not have been considered “serious foul play”.