Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Thu 21 May 2026 15:40, UK

Everton are set to rue their missed European opportunity after seeing Aston Villa’s celebrations in Istanbul.

The West Midlanders won their first trophy in 30 years on Wednesday, with Unai Emery’s side beating Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final.

Villa have continued to move through the gears under the Spaniard and have set the benchmark for any side looking to climb the standings from mid-table.

The Toffees had continental ambitions of their own this season, before a dismal run of form after the international break sent those hopes up in smoke.

And after watching the action unfold in Istanbul, David Moyes and his side may be left gutted by the opportunity that slipped away.

Aston Villa scenes set bar for English clubs to aim for – Everton to rue their luck

While that should not diminish the scale of Villa’s achievement, their victory over Freiburg was hardly unexpected given the significant financial gulf between the clubs.

One clear consequence of the Premier League’s economic power is its unrivalled ability to attract elite talent from around the world, leaving English teams routinely viewed as the frontrunners before a Europa League or Conference League campaign has even begun.

Had Everton qualified for either the Europa League or Conference League, they would have been among the instant favourites before a ball was even kicked.

On their way to the final, Emery’s side had to get past Nottingham Forest – a side threatened by relegation for much of the campaign.

Before that, Forest beat Porto in their quarter-final.

That alone would have been unimaginable less than half a decade ago, with a side sitting 16th in the league beating a club of that stature.

The same can be said for Crystal Palace, who overcame Fiorentina and Shakhtar Donetsk with relative ease in the Conference League quarter-finals and semi-finals, and are likely to triumph against Rayo Vallecano next Wednesday.

This is a symptom of the Premier League’s newfound dominance, combined with the fact that sides no longer drop from the Champions League into the Europa League knockout stages.

No matter the relative form, or the stage of the project an English club is in, a place in the final few is almost guaranteed, leaving Everton gutted that the chance is not there to end their long trophy drought next term.

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Everton’s 3-1 defeat to Sunderland on Sunday means Moyes’ side’s winless run now stretches to six matches, with their last three points coming against Chelsea before the international break.

During this spell, Everton’s European hopes have continued to suffer blow after blow.

After the defeat to the Black Cats, Moyes suggested that, in his view, the Toffees are not yet ready for Europe, although the evidence points to a different conclusion.

The simple fact is that any side in the current Premier League crop is more than ready for continental football.

Because of the financial disparity, Everton’s reported £78million wage bill this year is almost double that of Europa League finalists Freiburg, while the pull of the Premier League itself allows clubs across the division to hoover up talent at a remarkable rate.

In years gone by, the idea that a team was not ready for Europe would have made sense.

But now, any English side should be targeting both the Europa League and the Conference League as realistic opportunities for silverware, with the division’s overall financial dominance meaning that almost every club is capable of competing on the continent.

As a result, Blues fans and everyone associated with the club will see this season as a massive missed opportunity.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Goodison Park.