Premier League secures fifth Champions League spot

The Premier League is guaranteed to have at least five teams in next season’s UEFA Champions League, following the first round of games in the quarter finals of the European competition.

England secured an extra “European Performance Spot” for a second successive year following Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Sporting CP on Tuesday night, with Kai Havertz slotting home from close range in the dying embers of a pulsating game in Portugal.

Under UEFA’S current rules, the two countries whose clubs perform best in European competitions each season earn an additional place in the following year, in the expanded Champions League tournament.

How the race was won!

The Premier League has dominated the coefficient ranking this season, with all nine English clubs that started in European competitions reaching the round of 16 – building a massive lead in points.

While only five English teams reached the quarter-finals, the points gained early on were enough to hold off challenges from other leagues.

Spain is the most likely candidate to take the second extra spot. However, Germany could still offer stiff competition, with a late push for the slot after Bayern Munich’s sustained 2-1 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night.

The battle for fifth place

This development turns the race for fifth place in the Premier League into a high-stakes battle for Champions League football next season.

Liverpool currently holds the spot with 49 points; however, competition for that ‘magic’ slot is incredibly tight – only seven points separate them from 13th-placed Bournemouth.

Current Standings in the “European Pack”:

5th: Liverpool (49 pts)

6th: Chelsea (48 pts)

7th-8th: Brentford & Everton (46 pts)

9th: Fulham (44 pts)

10th-11th: Brighton & Sunderland (43 pts)

Could England get six or seven spots?

The Premier League could mathematically have even more teams in the elite European competition next year if certain clubs win European trophies but finish low in the league:

Six Teams: This happens if a team like Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest (both in the Europa League) wins their tournament but finishes outside the top four or five.

Seven Teams: If English clubs win both the Champions League and the Europa League while finishing outside the top-4 positions, the 7th-placed team could qualify.