How 11 Premier League clubs could qualify for Europe next season
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Meanwhile, just four points separate seventh and 13th, the second-lowest gap between those positions in Premier League history at this stage.Nine English teams played in Europe this season – six in the Champions League, two in the Europa League and one in the Conference League. The Premier League is all but certain to earn one of them (as it did last season) given that five of its nine European participants are still in their respective competitions: Arsenal and Liverpool in the Champions League, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa in the Europa League, and Crystal Palace in the Conference League.There is also the possibility of two more Champions League spots for English clubs, but that would require excellent results in Europe and poor form domestically from Liverpool and Aston Villa.
If the top five Premier League sides qualify for the Champions League, the team that finishes sixth and the winners of the FA Cup will be in the Europa League.However, if Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea or Liverpool win the FA Cup – which looks very likely – and they finish in a league position that would be enough to qualify for either the Champions League or Europa League (so, the top six), their spot in the Europa League will go to the next-highest ranked team in the Premier League who have not already otherwise qualified for Europe.If, alongside the above, neither Liverpool nor Villa win a European competition while finishing outside the top five, this Europa League spot would go to the seventh-placed team in the Premier League. If Liverpool or Villa are victorious in Europe while also finishing outside the top five, the team that finishes eighth in the Premier League will qualify for the Europa League.
If both of them win their European competition and finish outside the top five, the teams that finish in eighth and ninth will qualify for the Europa League.Meanwhile, if Crystal Palace win the Conference League while finishing outside the top six in the Premier League, they will enter the Europa League next season.Conference LeagueManchester City earned a place in the Conference League by winning the League Cup, but will finish in the top six of the league so their spot passes down to the highest-placed team that have not already qualified for Europe.Depending who wins the FA Cup and how many extra spots are earned in the Champions League by Liverpool or Villa, the team that finishes eighth, ninth, or 10th in the Premier League could qualify for the Conference League.So 11 English teams could play in Europe?In short: yes. Palace are the favourites to win the Conference League, but it’s still more likely that they won’t win it.With all that in mind, it is more probable that no extra places are earned because English teams have won their continental competitions while finishing outside the qualifying positions in the Premier League.However, it is likely that five English teams will qualify for the Champions League and a Europa League spot will go to the team finishing in seventh because a top-six team wins the FA Cup.That would mean the teams finishing in the top eight in the Premier League this season qualify for Europe.