English clubs reach all three European finals for historic first time
Arsenal, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have made history by reaching the finals of all three major European competitions in the same season.
The Gunners secured their spot in the Champions League showpiece with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
Thursday night triumphs
Unai Emery’s side then followed suit on Thursday, overturning a first-leg deficit to thrash Nottingham Forest 4-1 on aggregate.
The Midlands outfit will now face Bundesliga side Freiburg in the Europa League final, scheduled for 20 May in Istanbul.
Meanwhile, the Eagles cemented their own European progression with a 2-1 home victory against Shakhtar Donetsk at Selhurst Park.
Having already secured a 3-1 win in Ukraine seven days prior, the south Londoners will play Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final on 28 May.
A milestone for English football
The introduction of the Conference League five years ago restored a three-tier continental structure not seen since the Cup Winners’ Cup was abolished in 1999.
English football came agonisingly close to this achievement last season when Chelsea and Tottenham won their respective continental trophies.
However, Paris St-Germain thwarted a complete set by eliminating the north Londoners in the Champions League semi-finals.
The English top flight has previously provided multiple finalists in a single campaign, including the all-Premier League showpiece events of 2019 and 2021.
Matching Italian continental pedigree
Reaching the climax of all three contemporary tournaments has only been achieved once before by another nation.
Italy proudly boasted Inter Milan, Roma and Fiorentina in the 2023 finals, though all three Serie A representatives ultimately suffered defeat.
You have to go back to 1984 to find the last time English clubs captured two European trophies in a single season.
During that historic campaign, Liverpool claimed their fourth European Cup against Roma, while Spurs defeated Anderlecht to lift the Uefa Cup.