Related Articles What do Liverpool get for winning the Premier League title? 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 during The Run In is becoming increasingly exciting – and difficult to predict.
Here is all you need to know. The Premier League's top five teams are set to qualify for the Champions League, and there are only four points separating the five teams who are ranked third to seventh. There is another thrilling race happening a little further down the table.
There are just two points between the four sides who are placed eighth to 11th. This is significant as finishing eighth might be worth a place in European competition next season. 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. This is because, thanks to the performances of Premier League clubs in all of UEFA’s competitions this season, England is guaranteed a top-two spot in UEFA's association club coefficient rankings, which earns a "European Performance Spot" (EPS). The Premier League will actually have SIX clubs in next season's Champions League – the top five teams in the league, plus whoever triumphs out of Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.
The battle for a top-five spot in the league is heating up with only three rounds to go. Only the champions Liverpool are guaranteed a top-five finish. The race to secure the other four remaining places is wide open, with as many as SIX teams vying to secure a spot.
Second-placed Arsenal had looked to be in the strongest position, but a run of one win in five matches means they are now looking over their shoulder, needing at least another four points to guarantee a top-five finish. The Gunners visit champions Liverpool on Sunday, followed by a home encounter with Newcastle United. Meanwhile, Manchester City have clicked into top gear, moving three points behind Arsenal.
Newcastle and Chelsea, who sit level on 63 points and in fourth and fifth place respectively, meet this weekend in a match of huge significance. Nottingham Forest’s dip in form – three defeats in their last five outings – has come at the worst possible time, yet Nuno Espirito Santo’s side face two teams in the bottom four – Leicester City and West Ham United – before a potential top-five final-day decider at home to Chelsea. Like Man City, Aston Villa have won four of their last five matches, with arguably the toughest of their remaining fixtures coming this weekend when they visit an AFC Bournemouth side harbouring European aspirations of their own.
Win on Saturday, and Villa will have the chance of getting the job done in their remaining matches against potential Europa League finalists Man Utd and Spurs. Race for Europe – remaining fixtures Team MW36 MW37 MW38 ARS LIV (A) NEW (H) SOU (A) MCI SOU (A) BOU (H) FUL (A) NEW CHE (H) ARS (A) EVE (H) CHE NEW (A) MUN (H) NFO (A) NFO LEI (H) WHU (A) CHE (H) AVL BOU (A) TOT (H) MUN (A) UEFA Europa League English football receives two Europa League places. One is traditionally awarded to the fifth-placed finisher in the Premier League, but this season it will go to the sixth-placed team because England have received an additional fifth Champions League spot.
The other Europa League place goes to the winners of the FA Cup. Crystal Palace face Man City in the final at Wembley Stadium on 17 May. 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 eighth qualify for Europe? An eighth-place finish in the Premier League could be rewarded with entry into the Conference League next season, but for that to happen firstly Man City must win the FA Cup and be joined in the top seven by Newcastle. That would mean both team’s European places for winning the domestic trophies would be passed to the teams finishing seventh (UEL) and eighth (UCoL).
That would still happen if Man City won the FA Cup and finished seventh, as that would mean Newcastle had finished in the top six and qualified for the Champions League or Europa League. Their Conference League place would still be passed down to eighth. The prospect of the eighth-placed team qualifying for the Conference League means Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham all have European football as an incentive as they head into their remaining three Premier League matches.
In fact, as things stand, any of those four clubs could still secure seventh place – and even sixth is in reach for all of them bar Fulham, but that would require the teams above them to fall away. The only head-to-head match within the quartet is on 18 May, when Fulham visit Brentford in a west London derby. Race for Europe – remaining fixtures Team MW36 MW37 MW38 BOU AVL (H) MCI (A) LEI (H) BRE IPS (A) FUL (H) WOL (A) BHA WOL (A) LIV (H) TOT (A) FUL EVE (H) BRE (A) MCI (H)
