8 hours ago
10
Intrigue on the final day of the Premier League season is concentrated solely on who qualifies for Europe, but there is plenty of it. Seven clubs will enter the last round of matches unsure of which European competition they will be playing in next season, or in some cases whether they will be playing in Europe at all, with half of the division potentially competing in Uefa tournaments in 2025-26. Here is what is at stake on Sunday …
Champions League
Champions Liverpool and runners-up Arsenal have secured their places at the top table for next season but three of England’s five qualification spots remain up for grabs. The Premier League has gained an extra fifth Champions League place – a “European Performance Spot” – owing to English clubs’ results across Uefa competitions this season. The winners of Wednesday night’s Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham also qualify, meaning there will be six English sides in the 36-team group phase.
Three from Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest will join them. A win or a draw at Fulham will keep Pep Guardiola’s side among the European elite; Newcastle host Everton and Villa visit Old Trafford. The stakes are high for both clubs at the City Ground, where Forest host Chelsea knowing victory would secure their place in the Europa League or reward an excellent campaign with Champions League football should Newcastle or Villa drop points. Only an away win will keep Chelsea in control of their Champions League destiny.
Europa League
Crystal Palace have booked one of English football’s two places in next season’s Europa League courtesy of their historic FA Cup triumph against Manchester City. The sixth-placed Premier League team get the other. That could be any one of City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Villa or Forest.
Conference League
As winners of the Carabao Cup, Newcastle have gained entry to European football’s third tier competition.
The complicated bit
And it is complicated, and will not be decided until Chelsea play Real Betis in the Conference League final next Wednesday. The winners of the Conference League qualify for the Europa League. However, if Enzo Maresca’s team win in Wrocław and finish in the top five they will take their place in the Champions League and no other Premier League team will get their Europa League spot. But should Chelsea win the Conference League and finish sixth, with Newcastle finishing seventh, the Premier League receives an extra Europa League place. That would go to Eddie Howe’s team. The team finishing eighth in the Premier League would then qualify for the Conference League.
Should Chelsea win the Conference League and finish seventh, the extra Europa League place would go to the sixth-placed team in the Premier League and, again, the team in eighth would qualify for the Conference League. That means Brighton (who are at Spurs) and Brentford (away to Wolves) have something tangible to play for on the final day and England’s European contingent could swell to 10 next season. All clear? Good.
