Success is the great validator. For Manchester United, this season came down to the 22nd penalty of a shootout. The previous 21 in Wednesday's Europa League final had been scored when David De Gea saw his effort saved by Gero Rulli—who had scored what wound up being Villarreal's decisive kick with the previous attempt. As Villarreal celebrated the first major European trophy in its history, and Unai Emery chalked up his fourth Europa League title after three with Sevilla, United’s run without silverware was extended to four years. The sense of drift goes on.
The 1-1 draw and penalty kick perseverance marked a triumph for Emery and his revenge on English football after his miserable time with Arsenal (with whom he had lost a Europa League final), but it was impossible to avoid the sense that United had also underperformed.