Sports

How Chelsea can still qualify for European football despite disastrous campaign

Joel Masibo 17th May, 2026 07:54 AM

Chelsea players line up before a previous UEFA Champions League match. PHOTO/https://web.facebook.com/ChelseaFC

Manchester City secured the FA Cup title after edging past Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley on Saturday, May 16, 2026, a result that also guaranteed European football through a Europa League berth, while the Blues still hung on by a thread.

However, because City are already assured of a Champions League spot, the Europa League ticket awarded to the FA Cup winners will instead be handed down through the Premier League standings.

Manchester City players celebrate and spare champagne after winning the FA Cup trophy following the Emirates FA Final between Chelsea and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium, London, England. Saturday 16th May 2026. PHOTO/https://www.facebook.com/mancity

Road to Europe

At the same time, several top-flight clubs will be cheering on Aston Villa in the Europa League final, as their success could open the door for the team finishing sixth in the league to reach the Champions League.

Villa are set to face SC Freiburg in Istanbul on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, only days before the Premier League campaign concludes.

The route to European qualification has become increasingly difficult to follow in recent years, mainly because of UEFA’s newly introduced European Performance Spots (EPS).

Under this system, the two leagues with the strongest collective performances in Europe each season receive an extra Champions League place.

For the 2026-27 campaign, the Premier League has already locked in one of those additional slots, while Spain’s La Liga has taken the other, mirroring last season’s outcome.

Aston Villa players in their recent UEFA Europa League outing. PHOTO/https://web.facebook.com/avfcofficial

As a result, England is guaranteed at least eight representatives in European competitions next season.

With Villa, Arsenal and Crystal Palace all involved in European finals, the implications for the rest of the Premier League remain significant.

Current breakdown of European qualification spots

The EPS system is straightforward in theory, though other qualification rules make the overall picture more complex.

The key principle is that EPS places are added only after domestic cup winners and European titleholders have already been accounted for, meaning they increase the total allocation rather than replace an existing spot.

Before England earned the EPS, the league was due to send seven clubs into Europe. Now, that number has risen to a minimum of eight.

Because Manchester City also claimed the EFL Cup, the Conference League slot linked to that competition will also pass down through league positions.

At present:

The top five qualify for the Champions League

Sixth and seventh secure Europa League places

Eighth enters the Conference League

What happens if Villa lift the Europa League?

Winning the Europa League automatically grants entry into the Champions League.

If Aston Villa triumph in Europe and still finish inside the top four, England’s allocation remains unchanged, with five Champions League representatives and eight clubs in Europe overall.

In that case, the reserved Champions League position for the Europa League holders would instead go to the highest-ranked team in qualifying based on Uefa coefficients, which could currently benefit Sporting CP.

But if Villa win the Europa League and finish outside the top four, the Premier League would send six clubs into the Champions League:

The top four league finishers

Villa as Europa League champions

The extra EPS berth

Villa’s final league standing would then determine how the remaining European positions are distributed.

Should they finish fifth, the EPS spot would shift to the side ending the season in sixth place.

Since the Europa League final takes place before the final round of league fixtures, the chase for sixth could become one of the season’s biggest battles.

Villa currently sit fourth, but defeat away to Manchester City on the final day combined with a Liverpool victory over Brentford could push them down into fifth.

That scenario could effectively turn sixth place into a Champions League qualification position.

In that situation, the Premier League would lose one Europa League slot, though England would still maintain eight European places overall.

FA Cup action between Chelsea anad Manchester City. PHOTO/https://www.facebook.com/ChelseaFC

The reason for sacrificing a Europa League berth lies in UEFA regulations surrounding EPS allocation.

If Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League while also finishing in a Europa League league position, the lower-tier qualification place must be surrendered and reassigned elsewhere in Europe.

A similar situation occurred when Villarreal CF won a European trophy and finished seventh in La Liga, leaving Spain without a representative in the inaugural Conference League season.

Therefore, if Villa end the campaign in fifth place, the Premier League would lose a Europa League position. The EPS berth would then move to the highest-ranked side not already in the Champions League, sixth place, while seventh and eighth would continue to qualify for the Europa League and Conference League, respectively.