As the race for Europe intensifies during The Run In, here is everything you need to know as Premier League clubs try to qualify for European competition for next season.
The race to secure places in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League is becoming increasingly exciting – and difficult to predict.
The Premier League is set to have its top five teams qualifying for the Champions League, and there are now only TWO points separating the teams in third and sixth place, and the same gap between the sides in eighth and 11th.
In Matchweek 34, Newcastle United beat Ipswich Town 3-0 and climbed two places from fifth to third, overtaking Manchester City and Nottingham Forest, who did not play in the Premier League at the weekend due to their involvement in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Chelsea also overtook Forest, going fifth with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Everton. Forest could not respond when they played their Matchweek 34 fixture on Thursday night, losing 2-0 at home to Brentford who also remain in the hunt for European football.
Elsewhere, Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion both secured dramatic late comeback wins over Southampton and West Ham United respectively to maintain their hopes of qualifying for Europe. They remain level, now in eighth and ninth place, on 51 points.
AFC Bournemouth missed the chance to regain eighth spot after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser, drawing 1-1 at home to Manchester United.
As many as 10 clubs could qualify for Europe and before we explain exactly how, here is how the Premier League table stands.
Has anyone qualified already?
Yes, Newcastle have secured a UEFA Conference League spot for next season because they won the EFL Cup. But they could yet qualify instead for either the Champions League or Europa League. More on that below.
Liverpool are guaranteed to play in the Champions League; that was already the case before they beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 to be confirmed as champions, as they couldn’t finish any lower than third, a spot that will qualify for the competition in 2025/26.
How do teams qualify for European competition?
UEFA Champions League
The top five teams in the Premier League will qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Thanks to the performances of Premier League clubs in all of UEFA’s competitions this season, England is now guaranteed a top-two spot in UEFA’s association club coefficient rankings, which earns a “European Performance Spot” (EPS).
It means the Premier League could potentially have as many as SIX clubs in next season’s Champions League – the top five teams in the league, plus the Europa League winners if they finish outside the top five.
UEFA Europa League
English football receives two Europa League places.
One is awarded to the fifth-placed finisher in the Premier League (or the sixth-placed team in the case of England receiving an additional fifth Champions League spot). The other Europa League place goes to the winners of the FA Cup.
UEFA Conference League
The winners of the EFL Cup qualify for the Conference League. This season, Newcastle secured a European spot when they triumphed over Liverpool at Wembley, ending their 56-year wait for a trophy in the process.
How else can clubs make it to Europe?
So far, so simple. But things rarely play out as such.
In addition to booking European berths by virtue of domestic performances, clubs can also do so through their showings in Europe.
The winners of the Champions League and Europa League qualify for the following season’s Champions League, while the winners of the Conference League book a spot in next year’s Europa League.
Still following? Now let’s chuck a few more possible scenarios into the mix, relating to the two European places awarded to England’s domestic cup winners.
If the FA Cup winners qualify for the Champions League or the Europa League via their Premier League position, or by winning the Champions League, their (FA Cup-won) Europa League place is then transferred to the next-highest Premier League finisher not already qualified for UEFA competitions.
Likewise, if the EFL Cup winners qualify for the Champions League or Europa League via other means – their league position, or by winning the FA Cup or either of those European competitions – their Conference League place will go to the next-highest Premier League side who have not qualified for Europe.
That is what Newcastle are hoping for, to finish high enough in the Premier League to trade their Conference League spot from winning the EFL Cup this season for a place in one of the other European competitions. Here’s where things could get interesting…
FA Cup could have an impact
The two FA Cup finalists could aid the quest for 10 teams reaching Europe.
Man City are in the race to qualify for the Champions League via their Premier League position. If they achieve that AND win the FA Cup, their reward for the latter – a Europa League place – would be passed to the next-highest team that have not already qualified for Europe.
If Crystal Palace lift the FA Cup, they will take the Europa League place awarded to the winning side at Wembley Stadium.
How could 10 English teams play in Europe next season?
There is a chance that European competitions will feature 10 English clubs next season. Here is one scenario where this could happen:
– Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Man City finish in the top five and qualify for the Champions League
– Aston Villa or Brighton finish sixth and qualify for the Europa League
– Bournemouth finish seventh and take the Conference League place passed down by EFL Cup winners Newcastle
– Chelsea finish eighth and qualify for the Europa League by winning this season’s Conference League
– Crystal Palace finish 10th and qualify for the Europa League by winning this season’s FA Cup
– Manchester United or Spurs finish 11th and qualify for the Champions League by winning this season’s Europa League
Such an improbable outcome would mean SIX English clubs playing in next year’s Champions League, THREE in the Europa League, and ONE in the Conference League.
The domestic plight of Man Utd and Spurs – who sit 14th and 16th respectively – means lifting the Europa League trophy is now their only means of retaining European football next year. They could meet in the final in Bilbao on 21 May, with the victors receiving a place in the 2025/26 Champions League.
What are the remaining Premier League fixtures?
Here are the remaining fixtures for the teams in the race for Europe in full:
Arsenal: Bou (h); Liv (a); New (H); SOU (a)
Newcastle: Was (a); CE (h); Arrs (a); Eve (h)
Forest: Cry (A); She (h); Whu (a); That (h)
Man City: WOL (H); SOU (A); BOU (H); FUL (A)
Chelsea: LIV (H); NEW (A); MUN (H); NFO (A)
Aston Villa: Ful (h); Bou (a); Tot (h); About (a)
Bournemouth: ARS (A); AVL (H); MCI (A); LEI (H)
Fulham: AVL (A); EVE (H); BRE (A); MCI (H)
Brighton: NEW (H); WOL (a); Liv (h); Tot (a)
Brentford: MUN (H); IPS (A); FUL (H); WOL (A)
Crystal Palace: Nfo (h); Tot (a); WOL (H); Liv (a)
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