Here’s what needs to happen for nine Premier League teams to play in Europe next season.
Next season, nine Premier League teams could be playing in European competitions if a few key results happen in the coming week.
Aston Villa secured their spot in the Champions League on Wednesday by winning the Europa League, bringing back memories of their 1982 win in Rotterdam. Unai Emery made history by winning the competition for the fifth time with his third different club. Villa beat Freiburg 3-0 in Istanbul, with goals from Youri Tielemans, Emi Buendia, and Morgan Rogers.
This win means Villa will be in Europe’s top club competition again. It’s also great news for English football, as it could open the door for more English teams to play in Europe next season.
Right now, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United are in the Champions League, with Villa sitting in fourth place in the Premier League. According to BBC’s Dale Johnson, if Villa finishes fifth in the league, England will get an extra Champions League spot thanks to the European Performance Spot (EPS).
That extra spot would then go to the team in sixth place, which is currently Bournemouth, who’ve had a fantastic season under manager Andoni Iraola. In the process, the Premier League would give up a Europa League spot based on league position.
Interestingly, Bournemouth need Villa to lose to City in Guardiola’s final game, and they also need Liverpool to beat Brentford so Liverpool finishes fourth. If that happens, Bournemouth would grab the sixth Champions League spot and get to enjoy some exciting European nights at the Vitality Stadium.
If these results go as hoped, Brighton and Chelsea are in good positions to qualify for the Europa League and Conference League, respectively. Brighton, in seventh place, are one point ahead of Chelsea and are on track for the Europa League rather than the Conference League.
However, Sunderland, currently in tenth place, still have a chance to make the Europa League if they beat Chelsea and Brighton lose their final game to Manchester United.
Brighton could even reach the Champions League if they beat United and Bournemouth loses to Nottingham Forest on the last day. Brighton and Bournemouth would be tied on points, but Brighton have a better goal difference.
Crystal Palace will also be playing European football, contesting the Conference League against Rayo Vallecano in Oliver Glasner’s last game in charge.
A historic win in Leipzig could see them qualify for the Europa League next season, a success they achieved in 2024/25 after winning the FA Cup—though they were later dropped to the Conference League because of UEFA’s rules on multi-club ownership.