If the Premier League is considered one of the best leagues, it’s because, among many other factors, it promises excitement until the very last breath.
This season, barring a major upset, the title will go to Liverpool, but there will be plenty more to look forward to until the curtain falls on Matchday 38. One of them is the fight for Europe.
Between fourth-placed Chelsea and twelfth-placed Crystal Palace, there’s just a 10-point gap, promising an intense and exciting battle… one that could end up with up to eleven places in Europe next season! Yes, you read that right,writes today’s English language edition of leading Spanish newspaper, Sport .
The paper reports:
“Currently, the top four in the Premier League receive direct qualification to the Champions League, the fifth-placed team and the FA Cup winner receive direct qualification to the Europa League, and the League Cup winner receives a place in the Conference League play-offs.
“However, UEFA rewards the top two leagues with an extra ticket to the premier competition. This season, England and Spain will have five teams in the Champions League next season. Thus, the top five teams in the Premier League would earn a direct, non-stop ticket to the Champions League, and the sixth-placed team would receive a spot in the Europa League.
“Furthermore, if Newcastle, who won the League Cup last weekend in a historic final against Liverpool, were to finish in the top five, they would be the seventh-placed team to compete in the Conference League next season. But the chances of a much bigger upset could be much higher.
Up to seven teams in the Champions League!
Manchester United and Tottenham, far behind in the Champions League zone, remain in the Europa League. If either side lifts the trophy at San Mamés, they would secure a spot in the Champions League.
“In this case, there would be six English teams with a place in Europe’s top competition next season, and that could rise to seven if Aston Villa, currently in the Champions League quarterfinals against PSG, lifts the trophy in Munich on May 31 and finishes below seventh in the Premier League.
The ‘domino effect’ of having eleven teams in European competition
“Three main factors allow for a scenario with 11 Premier League teams in Europe: the tightness of the standings, the possibility of the English team winning all three continental trophies, and the possibility of a smaller team winning the FA Cup. But what’s going to happen?
“Complicated? Sure. Impossible? The math says no. For now, we just have to wait and see how things unfold at the end of a season that could make the 2025-26 campaign a Premier League landmark.”
What the Premier League is looking for
Champions League : Liverpool (1st), Arsenal (2nd), Nottingham Forest (3rd), Manchester City (4th), Newcastle (5th, extra place), Aston Villa (finishes 9th, but wins the Champions League) and Manchester United/Tottenham (finishes 10th, but wins the Europa League)
Europa League : Brighton (6th), Bournemouth (7th, but wins the FA Cup) and Chelsea (8th, but wins the Conference League)
Conference League : 11th place (Fulham, Brentford, Crystal Palace…)
