Almost a third of the teams in the Premier League will be involved in next season's Champions League, but the identity of the teams that make the cut is far from certain
While we will start the last four weeks of the Premier League season, there is every chance that we will look at six qualifying places for next season's Champions League. And that all comes from the performances of English clubs in Europe this period.
We know since the beginning of April that there would be a fifth qualifying team, with the home victory of Arsenal on Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Champions League so that the Premier League can guarantee one of the two European performance places for next season. Since then, Spain has locked up the second of those bonus spots, with the fifth placed team in the competitions of both countries that qualified.
The winners of the Europa League will also qualify for next season's Champions League if they have not yet made it through their competition position. That is what happened in the 2022-23 season, when Sevilla finished 12th in La Liga but beat Roma for Europa League Glory.
We have another leg to play in the semi -final of the Europa League of this season, but there is every chance that the Premier League will lock its sixth place. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are both on course for the lower half competition, but both have one foot in the final.
United sealed a pounding victory in Bilbao, while Spurs gave a 3-1 lead over Bodo/Glimt prior to a trip to Norway, and if they meet in the final, the winner would claim that sixth place. But who will go with them? Mirror Football takes the teams in more detail.
Newcastle United – 62 points
With rivals opposite each other during the run-in, second place Arsenal are essentially assured of a top five, even though it is not mathematically safe. And it is Newcastle who has qualified best to join them.
The side of Eddie Howe stood all the way down in the 12th in mid -December, but a recent rally put them in pole position. Their last seven games have achieved six wins, with a 4-1 reverse at Aston Villa the only exception.
Much will depend on their two games against other top five sides – at home at Chelsea and Weg at Arsenal. On both sides they have meetings with Brighton and Everton, and there is little margin for errors.
Manchester City – 61 points
According to the standards of Manchester City, this season has been a huge disappointment and yet it can still be salvaged. The dreams of the Champions League and Carabao Cup end early, but the Pep Guardiola team can still win the FA Cup and qualify for the next term in Europe.
A series of one win in nine games left them seventh after a boxing day with Everton. However, they are currently at a point of 14 points of six games, but come back from 2-0 to beat Crystal Palace before they pack essential late goals to see Everton and Aston Villa.
City perhaps has the friendliest fixture list of the clubs in the mix. They start with a Friday evening match against Wolves, followed by Southampton Weg, Bournemouth at home and – finally – an away game against a Fulham side that might need a result for the European qualification itself.
Chelsea – 60 points
Chelsea went in the opposite direction to some of their rivals. The blues finished second at Christmas, but are now running the risk of completely missing the Champions League.
Some early injuries have prevented Enzo Maresca from building a steam head, but the return of Nicolas Jackson is valuable. Jackson scored a weekend winner against Everton before he added two more against Djurgarden, where a big win Maresca should run in Europe and urge vital competition results.
Their luminaire list is the most important obstacle, with getting away in Newcastle and Nottingham Forest that offer real tests. They also organize champion Liverpool this weekend, with their other home game that Manchester United sees Stamford Bridge.
Nottingham Forest – 60 points
Forest has been in an excellent place for a large part of the season, but the cracks are now starting to show. Report at home against Brentford On Thursday, they left them sixth – the first time they have ended a competition week outside the top five since the beginning of December – at the worst possible time.
A home game against degraded Leicester should bring three points, and there is a chance to complete a double over wrestling West Ham, but the other games are not the easiest. Crystal Palace goes to the meeting of this weekend, encouraged by reaching the FA Cup final – something that the forest of Nuno could not do itself because they lost their semi -final to Manchester City.
It could all come down to the final, where Nuno and his team welcomed Chelsea in the city. The inverted fixture ended completely squared and it is still to see who needs what.
Aston Villa – 57 points
Villa has the most difficult task, purely based on collected points. They are three points behind the fifth place Chelsea, with a huge inferior target difference and five drift from Newcastle in third place.
The Unai Emery team won five in the spider before he lost in Manchester City the last time out, and they may need a similar perfect run to end the campaign. They will not have the distraction of a FA Cup final, have lost their semi-final to Crystal Palace, while they are also unable to call on Marcus Rashford after he has missed that match with what is expected to be a seasonal injury.
A failure to beat Fulham this weekend can all put an end to their hope to return to the Champions League, but to win and win in Bournemouth and it might be on. Villa ends the season with matches against Tottenham and Manchester United, both of whom are more than half a close eye on that Europa League final.
The Mirror Football Render
For a large part of the season it seemed that we might get an intruder or two in the Champions League places. With Bournemouth and Fulham who fell away, forest, however, remain the best hope for a first qualifying match.
It might also be a bridge too far for forest. The recent house beats to Everton and Brentford who leaves Nuno's men in the unknown position of catching up, and they may no longer have any steam.
Newcastle and Manchester City look in the best form to cross the line and see their experience. Chelsea has recently found a way to grind the results, with their comeback victory at Fulham a good example, and they look like they just have enough.