As Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United prepare to face off in the Europa League final on Wednesday evening, we’re taking a look at the five previous all-English European finals.
The Five Previous All-English European Finals
Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea (UEFA Champions League, 2020-21)
The most recent all-English European final came towards the end of the 2020-21 season, when Manchester City and Chelsea met at Porto’s Estádio do Dragão in the UEFA Champions League final.
Played in front of a reduced capacity due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, City were on the hunt for their first-ever European Cup/Champions League title, while the Blues were looking to secure their second triumph in the competition.
In what proved to be an incredibly cagey affair, the pivotal moment came just before the half-time break, as Kai Havertz latched onto Mason Mount’s through ball, rounded Ederson, and slotted into an empty net to give Chelsea the lead.
Pep Guardiola’s side came close to restoring the parity late on through Riyad Mahrez, but the West Londoners, managed by now-England manager Thomas Tuchel, held on to lift the iconic trophy in northern Portugal.
Tottenham Hotspur 0-2 Liverpool (UEFA Champions League, 2018-19)
The 2018-19 UEFA Champions League final was also contested by two English Premier League sides, with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool meeting at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.
Jurgen Klopp’s Reds were in the final for a second successive year, having suffered an agonising 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid the year prior, while it was Spurs’ first time competing in the final of Europe’s premier club football competition.
Tottenham, managed by Mauricio Pochettino, beat Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16 and recorded dramatic victories over Manchester City and Ajax in the quarter and semi-finals in what was a truly memorable campaign.
Liverpool, meanwhile, beat Bayern Munich and Porto in the last 16 and quarter-finals and fought from 3-0 down to beat a Barcelona side consisting of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to win 4-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals.
In the final, the Reds led after just two minutes through a Mohamed Salah penalty after Moussa Sissoko handled the ball in the box, before Divock Origi sealed his side’s sixth European Cup triumph on the 87-minute mark.
Chelsea 4-1 Arsenal (UEFA Europa League, 2018-19)
Also in the 2018-19 season, the UEFA Europa League final was an all-English affair, as London duo Chelsea and Arsenal faced off at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan, in Europe’s second-tier club football competition.
Maurizio Sarri’s Blues beat Malmo, Dynamo Kiev, Slavia Prague and Eintracht Frankfurt on their way to the final, while Unai Emery’s Gunners overcame BATE Borisov, Rennes, Napoli and Valencia in their knockout phase matches.
The first goal of the game came courtesy of Olivier Giroud early in the second period, followed by quick-fire goals from Pedro and Eden Hazard in the 60th and 65th minutes. Alex Iwobi pulled one back for the North Londoners, but Hazard struck again three minutes later to secure Chelsea’s second Europa League title.
With the defeat, Arsenal’s long wait for continental glory continued, and they remain without a single European title, having been eliminated from this year’s Champions League at the semi-final stage by PSG in early May.
Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea (6-5 on penalties) (UEFA Champions League, 2007-08)
Perhaps the most iconic all-English European final in history, Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea met at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, in the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League final.
First-half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Frank Lampard meant the pair were level at 1-1 come the full-time whistle, and after a goalless period in extra-time, the tie had to be decided via a penalty shootout.
Ronaldo missed his spot-kick to hand the Blues an advantage in the shootout, and John Terry was presented with the opportunity to win the game for his club. Unfortunately for the Englishman, he slipped at the final moment, which resulted in his penalty smashing against the post, sending the shootout to sudden death.
Anderson, Salomon Kalou and Ryan Giggs’ penalties followed, with all three keeping their cool from 12 yards, but the decisive moment came when Edwin van der Sar denied Nicolas Anelka, sealing a third European Cup success for United.
Wolves vs Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs win 3-2 on aggregate) (UEFA Cup, 1971-72)
The first-ever all-English European final came in the 1971-72 UEFA Cup, now known as the UEFA Europa League, as Tottenham Hotspur beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 over two legs to win their second continental title.
Spurs beat Keflavik, Nantes, Rapid Bucuresti, UTA Arad and A.C. Milan on their way to the final, while Wolves bested Academica de Coimbra, ADO Den Haag, Carl Zeiss Jena, Juventus and Ferencvaros.
Former England international striker Martin Chivers scored twice as the North Londoners claimed a narrow 2-1 lead in the first leg at Molineux, before a 1-1 stalemate in the second leg at White Hart Lane confirmed a 3-2 aggregate scoreline.
Tottenham went on to win a second UEFA Cup title 11 years later, during the 1983-84 season, where they overcame Belgian side Anderlecht 4-3 on penalties after playing out a 2-2 draw over the course of two legs.
Looking to watch Wednesday’s Europa League final? Check out our guide on how to watch Tottenham vs Man Utd for the latest information in regards to TV channels and live streams, both in the UK and abroad.
Also, check out our Manchester United vs Tottenham head-to-head stats sheet ahead of the action.
