As the Premier League season approaches its conclusion, the fate of several clubs is already sealed. Liverpool have clinched the title, while the three teams promoted the previous season—Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton—face relegation. However, significant uncertainty remains regarding qualification spots for European competitions.
The result of Saturday`s FA Cup final, where Crystal Palace secured the trophy with a win over Manchester City, has altered the European qualification picture for the upcoming season.
Here`s a guide to understanding the qualification criteria for the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League spots still up for grabs:
Premier League Standings
*(Standings as of the time of the original article)*
| 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 |
Current European Spot Allocation
England has secured an extra spot in the Champions League for the next season, a benefit gained from the strong collective performance of its teams in European competitions, which boosts the UEFA coefficient points.
Based on the current standings and FA Cup result, the qualification looks like this:
- Teams finishing in the top five positions will qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
- The winner of the Europa League final (contested by Manchester United and Tottenham in this scenario) will also qualify for the Champions League.
- The team finishing in sixth place is currently set to qualify for the Europa League.
- The team finishing in seventh place is currently set to qualify for the Europa Conference League.
- Crystal Palace, as FA Cup winners, automatically qualify for the Europa League.
Impact if Chelsea Win the Europa Conference League
The qualification picture becomes more intricate if Chelsea win the Europa Conference League. This result creates different scenarios depending on their final Premier League position.
Scenario 1: If Chelsea win the Conference League AND finish in the top five of the Premier League:
- The top five teams in the league (including Chelsea), plus the Europa League final winner, qualify for the Champions League.
- Crystal Palace (as FA Cup winners) and the team finishing sixth qualify for the Europa League.
- Newcastle, if they qualified for Europe, would enter the Europa Conference League as Carabao Cup winners if they finish outside the top five. (Note: This Carabao Cup rule`s interaction with league positions can be complex).
Scenario 2: If Chelsea win the Conference League AND finish sixth in the Premier League:
- The top five teams in the league, plus the Europa League final winner, qualify for the Champions League.
- Crystal Palace (FA Cup winners), Chelsea (as Conference League winners), and the team finishing seventh will qualify for the Europa League.
- Newcastle, if they qualified for Europe, would enter the Europa Conference League as Carabao Cup winners if they finish outside the top five.
Possibility for the Eighth-Placed Team
In certain complex scenarios, even the eighth-placed team could secure a spot in European competition.
For the eighth-placed team to qualify, one key condition is necessary (assuming Newcastle finish in the top six in this hypothetical):
- Chelsea must win the Europa Conference League AND finish outside the top five in the Premier League.
This rare outcome can occur because if Chelsea win the Conference League while finishing, for example, in seventh place, their spot for winning the cup takes priority, sending them to the Europa League. This effectively pushes down the league spots. If 6th place was initially for the Conference League and 7th for Europa League, winning the ECL by the 7th placed team elevates them to EL, and the original 6th place team might also get pushed into EL, leaving the Conference League spot to drop to the 8th placed team. The exact outcome depends on the precise interplay of cup winners and league positions.
The initial allocation of spots, before considering specific cup winners or complex scenarios, is typically as follows:
- Champions League: 1st-4th place and the Europa League winners
- Europa League: 5th place, FA Cup winners (Crystal Palace)
- Conference League: 6th place
According to the complex scenario where Chelsea finish 7th and win the Europa Conference League, the final allocation, factoring in the priority of cup winners` spots, would shift:
- Champions League: 1st-5th place and the Europa League winners
- Europa League: 6th place and the Europa Conference League winners (Chelsea)
- Conference League: 8th place
Dominic Ashworth