Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Crystal Palace all advanced to European finals in the same season for the first time ever.
For the first time in history, three English clubs have simultaneously reached the finals of three different European tournaments. Arsenal secured their Champions League final spot with a 2-1 aggregate win over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. Aston Villa and Crystal Palace then joined them after their own decisive victories in midweek matches.
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa completed a remarkable comeback by overturning a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Forest, thrashing them 4-1 on aggregate on Thursday. This victory set up a Europa League final clash with Bundesliga side Freiburg in Istanbul scheduled for May 20. The win marks Villa’s first-ever appearance in the Europa League final.
Crystal Palace secured their spot in the Conference League final with a 2-1 second-leg win over Shakhtar Donetsk at Selhurst Park, following a 3-1 away victory seven days prior. The Eagles will face Rayo Vallecano in the final on May 28 in the tournament’s fifth edition since its creation five years ago.
Last season came close to repeating this feat when Chelsea won the Conference League and Tottenham defeated Manchester United in the Europa League final. However, Arsenal were the last English representatives in the Champions League final, losing to eventual winners Paris St-Germain in the semifinals.
English clubs have previously had three teams in the Champions League and Europa League finals before, such as in 2021 when Kai Havertz scored the only goal as Chelsea beat Manchester City in an all-Premier League Champions League final. In 2019, Liverpool defeated Tottenham in the Champions League final while Chelsea triumphed over Arsenal in the Europa League final in Baku.
More than two decades ago, in 1984, England saw two successes when Liverpool claimed their fourth European Cup by beating Roma and Spurs won the Uefa Cup by defeating Anderlecht. Liverpool also lifted the European Cup in 1981 after a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in Paris, and Ipswich Town, managed by Bobby Robson, claimed the Uefa Cup by beating AZ Alkmaar.
Italy has also reached all three finals simultaneously multiple times, most recently in 2023, though all three clubs lost their finals. In 1990, Serie A clubs claimed all three trophies, with Milan winning the European Cup, Juventus taking the Uefa Cup, and Sampdoria lifting the Cup Winners’ Cup.
Spanish clubs reached three finals in 1985-86, with Real Madrid winning the Uefa Cup while Barcelona lost the European Cup final and Atletico finished runners-up in the Cup Winners’ Cup. This showcases how multiple teams from one nation can dominate Europe’s elite competitions in a single season.