With the Premier League season nearing its conclusion, many key positions are settled. Liverpool are champions, and the three promoted teams from the previous season – Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton – are confirmed for relegation. Attention is now focused on the teams competing for European qualification spots.
The FA Cup final on Saturday, where Crystal Palace defeated Manchester City to win the trophy, has impacted the allocation of European qualification places for the upcoming season.
Here`s a guide to the current situation regarding qualification for the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League:
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 |
European Qualification Overview
Thanks to the strong performance of English clubs in European competitions, which increased their coefficient points, England has been awarded an extra qualification spot for the Champions League next season.
Current Qualification Status:
- Teams finishing 1st to 5th in the Premier League will qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
- The winner of the Europa League final (between Manchester United and Tottenham) will also secure a spot in the Champions League.
- Currently, the team finishing 6th is set to qualify for the Europa League.
- Currently, the team finishing 7th is set to qualify for the Europa Conference League.
Impact of Crystal Palace`s FA Cup Win
By winning the FA Cup, Crystal Palace have automatically qualified for the Europa League next season.
Potential Scenarios Involving Chelsea and the Conference League
This is where the qualification picture can become complicated, depending on whether Chelsea win the Europa Conference League or not.
Scenario 1: If Chelsea win the Conference League *and* finish in the Premier League`s top five:
- The top five teams in the Premier League (including Chelsea), plus the Europa League winners (Man Utd or Spurs), qualify for the Champions League.
- Crystal Palace and the team finishing 6th in the Premier League qualify for the Europa League.
- If they don`t finish in the top five, the Carabao Cup winners (implied here to be Newcastle) would enter the Conference League.
Scenario 2: If Chelsea win the Conference League *and* finish 6th in the Premier League:
- The top five Premier League teams, plus the Europa League winners (Man Utd or Spurs), qualify for the Champions League.
- Crystal Palace, Chelsea (as Conference League winners), and the team finishing 7th in the Premier League qualify for the Europa League.
- If they don`t finish in the top five, the Carabao Cup winners (implied here to be Newcastle) would enter the Conference League.
Can the 8th-Placed Team Qualify?
We now delve into less common scenarios. However, there`s a possibility that the team finishing 8th could qualify for European competition:
For this to occur, the following conditions must be met (assuming Newcastle finish in the top six):
- Chelsea win the Europa Conference League *and* finish outside the top five in the Premier League.
This scenario unfolds because if Chelsea win the Conference League and finish outside the top five, they claim a Europa League spot as competition winners. This shifts the league-based Europa spot (which would have gone to 6th or 7th depending on other factors) down the table, potentially moving the Conference League spot, normally allocated to 7th, down to 8th place.
Preliminary Spot Allocation (as per ESPN):
UCL: 1st-4th and Europa League winners
EL: 5th, FA Cup winners (Crystal Palace)
Conference League (CL): 6th
If Chelsea finish 7th and win the Conference League:
UCL: 1st-4th and Europa League winners
EL: 5th, FA Cup winners (Crystal Palace), Conference League winners (Chelsea)
Conference League (CL): 6th
After accounting for Chelsea winning the Conference League (they take an EL spot as winners, freeing up a league spot):
UCL: 1st-5th and Europa League winners
EL: 6th, Conference League winners (Chelsea)
Conference League (CL): 8th
