What Aston Villa’s Europa League win means to Chelsea, English clubs chasing European football tickets
Aston Villa’s Europa League triumph has created the possibility of the Premier League receiving an extra Champions League berth next season.
England had already secured five places in Europe’s top competition through UEFA’s performance rankings, but that number could rise to six if Villa end the league campaign in fifth position after lifting the Europa League title.
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Villa currently occupy fourth place in the standings and are three points clear of Liverpool heading into the final round of fixtures on Sunday.
Bournemouth and Brighton hopes
That scenario has given both Bournemouth and Brighton renewed hope of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their histories. Bournemouth sit sixth, while Brighton are seventh, and both clubs will be closely watching results on the final day.
If Villa remain fourth, the Champions League spots would go to Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Liverpool, with Bournemouth and Brighton taking Europa League places while Chelsea enter the Conference League.
However, if Villa slip to fifth, England will send six clubs to the Champions League. In that case, Bournemouth would grab the additional spot, while Brighton would move into the Europa League positions, and Chelsea would still head to the Conference League.
There is also a chance that the Premier League could have as many as nine representatives in European competitions next season if Crystal Palace win the Conference League and secure a Europa League berth.
The decisive final round of Premier League matches will all kick off simultaneously on Sunday afternoon.
Villa’s fate depends heavily on their clash with Manchester City. A defeat for Unai Emery’s side combined with a Liverpool victory over Brentford would see Villa drop into fifth place.
Bournemouth can still snatch fifth if they beat Nottingham Forest and overturn a six-goal difference swing while hoping Liverpool lose to Brentford. The Cherries only need a draw to guarantee sixth place.
Brighton’s pathway to Europe
Brighton’s hopes rely on defeating Manchester United and seeing Bournemouth lose to Nottingham Forest.
Chelsea’s highest possible finish is seventh, which they can achieve by earning a better result than Brighton.
Brentford can climb to seventh if they defeat Liverpool and both Chelsea and Brighton fail to win their respective matches.
Sunderland also remain in contention for seventh place. They must beat Chelsea, hope Brighton lose, and rely on Brentford failing to collect three points.
Because Sunderland and Chelsea face each other directly, Newcastle, Everton and Fulham have all been eliminated from the race for European qualification, as none of them can finish with more than 52 points.
