After Arsenal secured a place in the UEFA Champions League final by defeating Atlético Madrid 2-1 on Tuesday, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace followed suit.
Managed by Unai Emery, Aston Villa overturned a 1-0 first-leg defeat by thrashing Nottingham Forest 4-0 on Thursday to reach the Europa League final, where they will face SC Freiburg in Istanbul on May 20.
Similarly, Crystal Palace, who had won the first leg 3-1, eliminated Shakhtar Donetsk after a 2-1 second-leg victory at Selhurst Park. They advanced to the UEFA Conference League final, where they will face Rayo Vallecano on May 27.
The UEFA Conference League, introduced seven years ago, became Europe’s third-tier competition following the abolition of the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1999.
English clubs had nearly achieved this feat last season as well, when Chelsea FC won the Conference League and Tottenham Hotspur defeated Manchester United in the Europa League final.
However, Arsenal — England’s last remaining team in the Champions League, were knocked out in the semifinals by Paris Saint-Germain.
This is not the first time the English Premier League has had at least three clubs in the finals of Europe’s top competitions.
In 2021, Kai Havertz scored the only goal as Chelsea defeated Manchester City in the Champions League final, while Manchester United lost the Europa League final.
In 2019, Liverpool FC defeated Tottenham in the Champions League final just a week after Chelsea beat Arsenal in the Europa League final in Baku.
Back in 2006, all English finalists lost: Arsenal were beaten by FC Barcelona in the Champions League final, while Middlesbrough FC suffered a 4-0 defeat against Sevilla FC in the UEFA Cup final.
To find a season where English clubs won two or even three European trophies, one has to go back another 20 years.
In 1984, Liverpool won their fourth European Cup by defeating AS Roma, while Tottenham beat RSC Anderlecht in the UEFA Cup final to claim the trophy for a second time.
Liverpool also won the European Cup in 1981 by defeating Real Madrid CF 1-0 in Paris, while Ipswich Town, managed by Bobby Robson, defeated AZ Alkmaar in the UEFA Cup final.
Other countries that have achieved similar feats
Italian clubs have frequently had representatives in all European finals. Most recently, in 2023, Inter Milan reached the Champions League final, AS Roma made the Europa League final, and ACF Fiorentina reached the Conference League final, although all three lost.
Serie A clubs won two out of three European trophies in the 1993/94 season, when AC Milan lifted the Champions League and Inter won the UEFA Cup, while Parma Calcio 1913 lost to Arsenal in the Cup Winners’ Cup final.
Italian clubs also won two trophies while losing one in both the 1992/93 and 1988/89 seasons.
In 1989/90, Italian clubs completed a clean sweep of all three European competitions: AC Milan won the European Cup, Juventus FC defeated Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup final, and UC Sampdoria lifted the Cup Winners’ Cup.
Spanish clubs also reached the finals of all three European competitions in the 1985/86 season, when Real Madrid won the UEFA Cup, Barcelona lost the European Cup final, and Atlético Madrid were defeated in the Cup Winners’ Cup final.
