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Arsenal's win against Sporting CP on Tuesday has secured fifth place in the Premier League as a Champions League qualifying spot for next season, delivering a significant boost to clubs competing for that position.
The expansion of Europe's three club competitions in 2024 brought with it the promise of additional qualifying berths distributed based on each nation's performance. Every win and draw across the Conference League, Europa League and Champions League earns points that are combined by domestic league.
As Premier League clubs dominated the Champions League league phase—five of the top eight were English—while Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace remain active in Europe, England's top division has led the coefficient standings throughout the entire season.
A wave of Champions League round of 16 exits triggered a minor crisis within the division, fueling debates about winter breaks, abolishing the Carabao Cup and complaints about the weather. Nevertheless, it wasn't sufficient to erase all the progress made during the autumn months.
Heading into the quarterfinals, the Premier League required just a single draw from any of the five clubs still in European competition to lock up that bonus spot. Arsenal delivered with a tense 1–0 victory over Sporting CP, a result that will have been welcomed by several clubs beyond north London.
The Race for Fifth Place in the Premier League
Position | Team | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
3. | Man Utd | +13 | 55 |
4. | Aston Villa | +5 | 54 |
5. | Liverpool | +8 | 49 |
6. | Chelsea | +15 | 48 |
7. | Brentford | +4 | 46 |
8. | Everton | +2 | 46 |
9. | Fulham | -1 | 44 |
Most Premier League clubs had been operating under the assumption that fifth place would, much like the previous season, guarantee a Champions League berth. Those hypotheticals have now been officially confirmed.
Given that it remains highly improbable for either Arsenal or Manchester City to drop out of the top two, three remaining European tickets are still up for grabs. Manchester United's resurgence under Michael Carrick has placed them in a commanding position, while Unai Emery appears to have steadied the ship at Aston Villa.
Liverpool sit just one point ahead of Chelsea with seven matches left in the campaign, yet the battle could theoretically extend all the way down to Fulham in ninth. Even Everton's characteristically cautious manager David Moyes is allowing himself to entertain the prospect of European football for the Toffees next season.
"I'd love to say it was [a possibility] as I'm trying to be more positive than I would normally be," Moyes reflected last month, "but for Everton to even be in the mix for Europe is unbelievable, whether it is Conference League or Champions League."
Which Other League Will Benefit?
Rank / Country | Coefficient Average | Teams Active | Max Score |
|---|---|---|---|
1. England | 25.013 | 5/9 | 30.569 |
2. Spain | 20.281 | 6/8 | 26.593 |
3. Germany | 19.714 | 3/7 | 24.571 |
4. Portugal | 18.900 | 3/5 | 25.900 |
5. Italy | 18.714 | 2/7 | 22.000 |
6. France | 16.392 | 2/7 | 19.821 |
Correct as of April 7, 2026.
The two leagues with the strongest-performing clubs are awarded a bonus European spot under the new format. England's place is already guaranteed since Spain are the only nation with any mathematical chance of surpassing them this season.
La Liga is well positioned to claim that fifth-place bonus—particularly with six clubs still involved—but Germany and Portugal are also in contention. It would take a remarkable sequence of events for Italian clubs to overcome their recent struggles, while France have already been eliminated from the running.
How 11 Premier League Teams Can Qualify for Europe in 2026–27
As many as nine Premier League clubs secured some form of European football in 2025–26. That outcome could very plausibly repeat itself this year, with a scenario even existing where an expanded group of 11 clubs make it onto the continent next term.
Nine clubs in Europe
This familiar outcome remains entirely achievable. The top five are already bound for the Champions League and could be joined by Nottingham Forest should they claim the Europa League title. If Manchester City or Chelsea win the FA Cup—they are on opposite sides of the semifinal bracket—and finish in the top six, then seventh place in the Premier League earns Europa League qualification.
As Carabao Cup winners City are also set to finish in the top five, their Conference League qualification spot will be passed down to eighth place in the Premier League table.
Ten clubs in Europe
Moving from nine to 10 European qualifiers is fairly straightforward. All of the above must occur, and then Crystal Palace simply need to win the Conference League, which earns them a place in the Europa League.
Eleven clubs in Europe
This is where things become far-fetched. A very particular combination of results must fall into place for more than half the division to secure some form of European competition.
Liverpool and Aston Villa would both need to finish sixth or seventh while also winning their respective European competitions, propelling them into the Champions League and pushing Europa League qualification down to eighth and ninth in the table. With City's Carabao Cup victory factored in, 10th place would then earn a Conference League berth.