The best all-English Europa League ties as Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa battle in high-stakes semi-final

Play May 2, 2026 0
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Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa meet in an all-English Europa League semi-final tonight.
The Midlands rivals will battle it out for a place in a European final, with Forest the hosts for tonight’s first leg. In the opposition dug-out, Unai Emery will be aiming to win his fifth Europa League crown and end Aston Villa’s 30-year wait for a major trophy.

Ahead of the game, we’ve remembered some of the very best all-English UEFA Cup and Europa League ties.

Wolves vs Tottenham, 1971/72 UEFA Cup final
The first-ever UEFA Cup final was contested between English teams as Wolves and Tottenham Hotspur went head-to-head over two legs.

Wolves had finished above Spurs in the First Division, but it was the North Londoners who took control of the tie. Martin Chivers scored twice in a 2-1 win at Molineux, before Spurs sealed success after a 1-1 draw in the return. A place in history was secured as the inaugural winners of the competition.

Liverpool v Tottenham, 1972/73 UEFA Cup semi-final
The following season, Spurs met English opposition again in the competition’s latter stages. Liverpool were the opposition, with the Reds aiming to end a seven-year trophy drought under Bill Shankly. Alec Lindsay’s early goal earned Liverpool a 1-0 win at Anfield, but Martin Peters levelled the tie in the return.

A tight contest was eventually broken open when Steve Heighway netted an away goal for Liverpool, the decisive moment of the tie. Peters’ second was not enough to save Spurs, as Liverpool progressed to a final against Borussia Monchengladbach. Shankly’s side won 3-2 on aggregate, sealing a UEFA Cup and league double.

Liverpool vs Manchester United – 2015/16 Round of 16
The first all-English meeting since the competition’s Europa League rebrand came in 2015/16, as arch-rivals Liverpool and Manchester United met in Europe for the first time.

Daniel Sturridge and Roberto Firmino secured a 2-0 first-leg win for Liverpool under new manager Jurgen Klopp, but Anthony Martial’s opener in the return put the tie in the balance. Philippe Coutinho’s cheeky chip at Old Trafford equalised and ended the tie as a contest.

Chelsea v Arsenal, 2018/19 Europa League final
An all-London Europa League final took centre stage in 2019, as Chelsea and Arsenal met in Azerbaijan.

A one-sided affair was the perfect send-off for outgoing Chelsea great Eden Hazard, who scored twice and created another in a 4-1 win for the Blues. Former Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud was also on target, as serial winner Unai Emery suffered a rare Europa League loss.

Tottenham vs Manchester United – 2025 Europa League Final

A high-stakes shootout saw Spurs and Manchester United contest last season’s final, with both enduring miserable Premier League campaigns.

Manchester United were mired in 15th, while Spurs were struggling even more and 17th in the top flight. The final provided the perfect chance to salvage their seasons and secure a spot in the Champions League for the following campaign.

Brennan Johnson’s goal decided a snore-fest of a showpiece and ended Spurs’ 17-year wait for a trophy. It was not enough to save Ange Postecoglou, however, who was sacked in the summer.