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Nottingham Forest are still in the FA Cup but are likely to secure European football through their league position - Reuters/Toby Melville
The Premier League title race might be all but over but, with more than 10 clubs potentially in contention for a European place in 2025-26, there is still plenty at stake as we enter the final months of the season. Here is what is still up for grabs:
Champions League
The top five Premier League finishers this season will earn a spot after an extra place was secured thanks to Uefa’s coefficients and the comparatively strong recent performance of English clubs in Europe. Champions-elect Liverpool and Arsenal are well clear in the top two places, but there are now just two points separating Newcastle United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa between third and seventh. There is also the possibility of other clubs reaching the Champions League, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur having both reached the semi-final of the Europa League. Uefa automatically awards the Europa League winners a place in the Champions League next season.
Europa League
The Premier League has a further two spots in Uefa’s Europa League. One comes from the league finish – with the sixth-placed Premier League club taking a place automatically. One Europa League place is also available for winning the FA Cup. The semi-finals, which take place this weekend, will pit Crystal Palace against Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest against Manchester City. However, should the FA Cup winners have already qualified for either the Champions League or Europa League by virtue of their league position (and that is still very possible for three of the semi-finalists), the European place for FA Cup winners will be transferred to the next highest Premier League finisher who is not already qualified for a European competition.
Europa Conference League
This solitary place has already been secured as a minimum for Newcastle United thanks to their win in the League Cup. Eddie Howe’s team, however, now look likely to qualify either for the Champions League or Europa League via their league position, meaning their Conference League place will probably be shifted to the next highest Premier League finisher who are not already in European competition. The winners of this year’s Conference League – which currently includes Chelsea among the semi-finalists – also automatically take a spot in the Europa League.
How half the Premier League could yet make it next season
With so much still to play out in the league as well as both the domestic and European cup competitions, it is still possible for 10 English clubs to play in Europe next season. One potential scenario has been explained on the Premier League’s official website. If, for example, Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Manchester City were the top five finishers in the Premier League, they would automatically qualify for the Champions League. Aston Villa may then finish sixth in the Premier League to clinch a place in the Europa League, potentially leaving Bournemouth in seventh to take the Europa Conference League spot that Newcastle United would pass on from winning the League Cup but qualifying for the Champions League.
Chelsea could also take a Europa League spot by winning the Europa Conference League while Crystal Palace join them in that competition by winning the FA Cup. Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur could also salvage their poor league seasons by winning the Europa League and adding to the number of Champions League places. That would leave six English clubs in the Champions League, three in the Europa League and one in the Conference League.
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