Fifth Champions League spot secured for Premier League
[Getty Images] The Premier League will have at least five teams in the Champions League next season after securing a European Performance Spot for the second straight year. The extra place was confirmed on Tuesday as Arsenal beat Sporting 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie. Uefa awards an additional place to the two leagues with the best overall performance across the three European competitions.
[BBC] The race for fifth place in the Premier League, currently held by Liverpool on 49 points, is exceptionally tight. Just seven points separate Arne Slot's side from 13th-placed Bournemouth. Chelsea (48) sit in sixth followed by Brentford (46), Everton (46), Fulham (44), Brighton (43), Sunderland (43), Newcastle (42) and Bournemouth (42).
If Aston Villa, who are fourth on 54 points, win the Europa League and finish outside the top four, the Premier League would have six teams in the Champions League. The same logic applies to Liverpool, who face Paris St-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday. If either win a European trophy and finish fifth, then sixth would qualify for the Champions League via the EPS place.
If both win European trophies and finish fifth and sixth, that would put seventh into the Champions League. Nottingham Forest are in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. They could emulate Tottenham by winning the competition and finishing in the bottom half of the table.
Just like last season, that would create a sixth team in the Champions League for the Premier League too.