Premier League completes historic European treble
Arsenal, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have, for the first time ever, sent three English teams to all three European finals: Champions League (PSG vs Arsenal), Europa League (Freiburg vs Aston Villa) and Conference League (Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano).
The main event
English football has written itself into history. For the first time since the introduction of the three major European club competitions — the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League — three clubs from the same country have simultaneously reached the finals of all three tournaments. This unprecedented treble was achieved by London's Arsenal, Birmingham's Aston Villa and London's Crystal Palace. The 2025/26 season is already being hailed as a triumph for the Premier League — and the finals at the end of May will determine whether this historic achievement turns into absolute dominance.
Details and statistics
The historic week kicked off on Tuesday, 6 May, when Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta, secured the required result in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid. The Gunners won 2-1 on aggregate, guaranteeing their place in the showpiece final on 30 May. For Arsenal, this is their first Champions League final in 20 years.
Two days later, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace took up the baton. Unai Emery's side staged an impressive comeback in the Europa League: after a 1-0 away defeat to Nottingham Forest in the first leg, the Birmingham side thrashed their opponents 4-1 on aggregate to reach the final. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace comfortably dispatched Shakhtar Donetsk in the Conference League. Following a 3-1 away win, the Eagles sealed the deal at Selhurst Park with a 2-1 victory in the second leg, giving a crushing 5-2 aggregate score in the semi-finals.
Notably, a similar scenario came close to happening a year earlier: in the 2024/25 season, Chelsea won the Conference League, Tottenham beat Manchester United in the Europa League final, but Arsenal stumbled in the Champions League semi-finals, losing to eventual winners PSG.
Context and significance
The Premier League's achievement is not a mere coincidence but the logical outcome of financial muscle and tactical innovation. In 2019, English clubs already occupied both major European finals: Liverpool beat Tottenham in the Champions League, and Chelsea defeated Arsenal in the Europa League. In 2021, there was an all-English Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City. However, no one had managed to win all three trophies in a single season — until now.
A comparison with the Italian experience is also telling. In 2023, Serie A came closest to such a feat: Inter reached the Champions League final, Roma the Europa League final, and Fiorentina the Conference League final. But all three Italian clubs lost their decisive matches. Now it is up to the English teams.
BBC experts note: "The current European competitiveness of Premier League clubs echoes the heyday of Serie A." Absolute hegemony of one league in a single season is a phenomenon continental football has not seen since UEFA introduced the three-tournament system five years ago.
What's next / Preview of the finals
Fans can look forward to a packed finish in May. The first title will be contested by the Europa League finalists: Freiburg and Aston Villa meet on 20 May at Besiktas Park in Istanbul. The 40,000-seat arena previously hosted the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, where Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties. For German side Freiburg, this is their first continental final in history, while Unai Emery already has four Europa League titles to his name — three with Sevilla and one with Villarreal.
A week later, on 27 May, the Conference League will be decided at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. Crystal Palace will take on Spanish side Rayo Vallecano. The winner of this tournament not only receives the 11-kilogram, 57.5 cm tall trophy but also secures a place in the group stage of the following Europa League, should they not qualify through their domestic league.
The climax will be the Champions League final on 30 May in Budapest. The 67,000-capacity Puskas Arena will host Arsenal against the reigning champions, PSG. The French giants will defend the title they won in 2025, while the Londoners will try to lift the European Cup for the first time in their history. Kick-off is at 5:00 PM British time — UEFA has deliberately moved the start from the traditional 8:00 PM to "improve the match experience and convenience for fans."
— Editorial Team
