The Premier League will have at least five teams in next season’s Champions League after securing an additional European Performance Spot (EPS).
The extra place was confirmed following Arsenal‘s 1-0 victory over Sporting CP in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday, ensuring England will finish among UEFA’s top two leagues in this season’s coefficient rankings.
It is the second straight year that the Premier League has earned an additional spot, with Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle all taking part in this season’s competition — while Tottenham also qualified as a sixth team after winning the Europa League.
UEFA awards the bonus spot to the two highest-performing leagues across its three competitions — the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League — and England has led the standings for much of the campaign.
All nine teams who entered the three competitions made it through the group stages, although only five advanced to the quarterfinals.
Who will finish fifth in the Premier League?
The race for that spot remains wide open.
Liverpool currently occupy fifth place on 49 points, but hold just a one-point advantage over sixth-placed Chelsea, while outsiders Brentford and Everton are only three points adrift. In fact, only seven points separate fifth from 13th.
There is also the potential for even more English representation in next season’s competition.
If Aston Villa — currently fourth — win the Europa League but finish outside the top five, they would qualify automatically, giving the Premier League six teams in the Champions League.
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A similar scenario applies to Liverpool if they win this season’s Champions League and finish outside the top four.
Should either side win a European trophy and finish fifth, sixth place would also earn a Champions League berth. If both scenarios occur — with two English clubs winning European titles and finishing fifth and sixth — even seventh place could qualify.
Nottingham Forest remain another wildcard. If they win the Europa League, they would also secure Champions League football regardless of their league position, which is currently 16th.
Spain favoured for second slot
While the Premier League has already secured one EPS place, the race for the second remains ongoing.
Spain is currently in pole position ahead of Germany and Portugal, though results in the latter stages of European competitions could still shift the standings.
UEFA’s coefficient rankings are calculated based on club performances across all three competitions, with points awarded for wins, draws and progression through each round, alongside bonus points for league-phase finishes.
If Spain holds on, it would mirror last season’s outcome, with the Premier League and LaLiga claiming the two additional Champions League spots.