With the Premier League season nearing its conclusion, several key outcomes are already settled: Liverpool are confirmed champions, and the three promoted teams from the previous season – Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton – face immediate relegation. Attention now shifts primarily to which clubs will secure qualification for European competitions.
Saturday`s FA Cup final, where Crystal Palace achieved an upset victory over Manchester City, has added a twist to the European qualification picture for next season.
Here`s a breakdown of the current qualification scenarios for the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League:
Current Premier League Standings
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 36 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 81 | 35 | +46 | 83 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 36 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 66 | 33 | +33 | 68 |
| 3 | Newcastle United | 36 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 68 | 45 | +23 | 66 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 36 | 19 | 8 | 9 | 67 | 43 | +24 | 65 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 36 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 62 | 43 | +19 | 63 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 36 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 56 | 49 | +7 | 63 |
| 7 | Nottingham Forest | 36 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 56 | 44 | +12 | 62 |
| 8 | Brentford | 36 | 16 | 7 | 13 | 63 | 53 | +10 | 55 |
| 9 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 36 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 59 | 56 | +3 | 55 |
| 10 | AFC Bournemouth | 36 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 55 | 43 | +12 | 53 |
| 11 | Fulham | 36 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 51 | 50 | +1 | 51 |
| 12 | Crystal Palace | 36 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 46 | 48 | -2 | 49 |
| 13 | Everton | 36 | 9 | 15 | 12 | 39 | 44 | -5 | 42 |
| 14 | Wolves | 36 | 12 | 5 | 19 | 51 | 64 | -13 | 41 |
| 15 | West Ham | 36 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 42 | 59 | -17 | 40 |
| 16 | Manchester United | 36 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 42 | 53 | -11 | 39 |
| 17 | Tottenham Hotspur | 36 | 11 | 5 | 20 | 63 | 59 | +4 | 38 |
| 18 | Ipswich Town | 36 | 4 | 10 | 22 | 35 | 77 | -42 | 22 |
| 19 | Leicester City | 36 | 5 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 78 | -47 | 22 |
| 20 | Southampton | 36 | 2 | 6 | 28 | 25 | 82 | -57 | 12 |
Automatic Qualification Spots
Thanks to strong performances by English clubs in European competitions, which significantly boosted their coefficient points, the Premier League has been awarded an extra qualification spot for the Champions League next season.
Based on current league positions and standard rules, the spots are typically allocated as follows:
- Top five teams qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
- The winner of the Europa League final (between Manchester United and Tottenham) also qualifies for the Champions League.
- The team finishing sixth currently secures a spot in the Europa League.
- The team finishing seventh currently enters the Europa Conference League.
Impact of the FA Cup Winner
Crystal Palace`s victory in the FA Cup grants them an automatic qualification spot for the Europa League next season.
Scenario: Chelsea Wins the Conference League
This scenario introduces complexities. Qualification rules can change significantly depending on whether Chelsea wins the Europa Conference League and their final Premier League position.
If Chelsea wins the Conference League AND finishes in the Premier League`s top five:
- The top five teams (including Chelsea) qualify for the Champions League, along with the Europa League winner (Manchester United or Tottenham).
- Crystal Palace (as FA Cup winners) and the sixth-placed Premier League team qualify for the Europa League.
- The seventh-placed team qualifies for the Europa Conference League.
If Chelsea wins the Conference League AND finishes sixth in the Premier League:
- The top five teams qualify for the Champions League, along with the Europa League winner (Manchester United or Tottenham).
- Crystal Palace (FA Cup), Chelsea (as Conference League winners), and the seventh-placed Premier League team all qualify for the Europa League.
- The Europa Conference League spot would typically go to the eighth-placed team in this specific scenario.
Potential for Eighth Place to Qualify
Qualification can get complicated, but there`s a specific scenario where the eighth-placed Premier League team could qualify for a European competition:
This scenario relies on specific outcomes:
- Chelsea wins the Europa Conference League AND finishes sixth or lower in the Premier League.
If Chelsea wins the Conference League while finishing outside the top five (e.g., 6th or 7th), they take an additional Europa League spot awarded to the Conference League winner. This shifts the allocation of league-based spots. The spot they would have earned via league position (if they finished 6th or 7th) effectively passes down the table. This chain reaction can result in the Europa Conference League spot, normally given to the seventh-placed team, dropping to the eighth-placed team.
To illustrate the allocation shifts, consider the base structure before factoring in this specific scenario:
- UCL: Teams finishing 1st to 4th, plus the Europa League winners. (Note: England`s coefficient earned an extra CL spot, making it 1st-5th normally).
- EL: Team finishing 5th, plus the FA Cup winners (Crystal Palace).
- ECL: Team finishing 6th.
Scenario Breakdown: If Chelsea finishes seventh and wins the Conference League:
- UCL: Teams finishing 1st to 5th, plus the Europa League winners.
- EL: Team finishing 6th, FA Cup winners (Crystal Palace), and Chelsea (as Conference League winners).
- ECL: Team finishing 8th.
