Premier League secures fifth Champions League spot
The Premier League will have at least five teams in the Champions League next season after securing the European Performance Point for the second year in a row.
Extra place was sealed on Tuesday when Arsenal beat Sporting 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
UEFA gives an additional place to the two leagues with the best overall performance in the three European cups.
The Premier League has been well ahead in the EPS rankings for most of the season, with all nine clubs making it to the last 16.
Although only five clubs could make it to the quarter-finals, the coefficient points earned in the league stage put England in a very strong position.
Newcastle United are now guaranteed to play in the Champions League after taking advantage of the 2024-25 season to finish fifth in the Premier League this season.
Spain looks like the favorite to take second place behind Germany and Portugal.
But the Bundesliga could face another late challenge after Bayern Munich beat Real Madrid 2-1 on Tuesday. Freiburg will face Celta Vigo in the Europa League.
If the rankings go to the Premier League and La Liga, it will be in the top two, as it was last season.
The race for fifth place in the Premier League, currently led by Liverpool with 49 points, is extremely competitive.
There is only seven points between Arne Slot’s team and 13th-placed Bournemouth.
Chelsea (48) is in sixth place, followed by Brentford (46), Everton (46), Fulham (44), Brighton (43), Sunderland (43), Newcastle (42) and Bournemouth (42).
If Aston Villa, which is in fourth place with 54 points, wins the Europa League and finishes outside the top four, the Premier League will have six teams in the Champions League.
The same logic applies to Liverpool, who will face Paris St-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.
If either of them win a European cup and finish fifth, they will qualify for the Champions League with an EPS ranking in sixth place.
If they both win the European cups and finish fifth and sixth, it will be seventh in the Champions League.
Nottingham Forest is in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. They can emulate Tottenham by winning the competition and finishing in the bottom half of the table.
Just like last season, this means for the Premier League to feature a sixth team in the Champions League.
