Aston Villa celebrated their first major trophy in three decades after cruising to a dominant 3-0 victory over Freiburg in the Europa League final.

Meanwhile, Southampton’s bid to overturn their expulsion from Saturday’s Championship play-off final was unsuccessful, and former England goalkeeper David Seaman has suggested that Mikel Arteta deserves a statue if Arsenal complement their Premier League success with a Champions League triumph.

Villa ended a 30-year trophy drought with a commanding 3-0 win over Freiburg in the Europa League final held in Istanbul. The Prince of Wales was present to witness his favourite club lift their first piece of silverware since winning the League Cup in 1996.

Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia both struck with powerful efforts late in the first half, showcasing Villa’s superiority. Their dominance continued as Morgan Rogers netted the third goal, sparking jubilant celebrations at the final whistle.

In the Championship, Middlesbrough will face Hull City in Saturday’s play-off final after Southampton’s appeal against their disqualification in the wake of the ‘spygate’ controversy was dismissed.

An independent commission handed down the sanction after Southampton admitted to three spying charges, one of which involved observing a Middlesbrough training session before the first leg of the semi-final. The ruling reinstated Middlesbrough’s place in the final, denying Southampton a shot at Premier League promotion valued at a minimum of £200 million.

Southampton’s chief executive Phil Parsons condemned the punishment as “manifestly disproportionate” compared to other penalties in the history of English football, but the appeal panel upheld the original decision.

Former Arsenal and England goalkeeper David Seaman stated that Mikel Arteta should be commemorated with a statue outside the Emirates Stadium if Arsenal complete what he called their “best season” by defeating Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on May 30.

Arsenal’s 22-year wait for the Premier League title ended this season, sparking exuberant celebrations among the players, staff, and thousands of fans at the Emirates Stadium. Statues of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Tony Adams, former managers Arsène Wenger and Herbert Chapman, and club president Ken Friar already stand outside the ground.

When asked whether Arteta should join that illustrious group, Seaman responded: “If that does happen, it is going to be the best season in the club’s history, so why not? I just feel this team can get better and better. The club has never won the Champions League before and that would be one hell of a double. It is a big ‘if’, but it would be epic.”

Elsewhere, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland urged his teammates to channel the frustration of missing out on the Premier League crown for the second consecutive year into motivation for next season’s campaign.

Arsenal sealed the title after City were held to a 1-1 draw by Bournemouth. “The whole club should use this as motivation now,” said Haaland. “We should be angry, we should feel a fire inside our belly because it’s not good enough. It’s gone two years now, it feels like forever.”

Mikel Arteta is expected to address the media for the first time since Arsenal’s Premier League triumph when he speaks at the club’s London Colney training base.