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Premier League outlines how 11th place team could qualify for Europe this season
A bottom-half finish in the Premier League could be rewarded with a European berth. But it’s going to take a drastic number of events for that unthinkable scenario to fall into place. Brentford may be in the bottom half, but it could lead to a spot in Europe next seasonGetty Traditionally, the top four teams in the Premier League have qualified for the Champions League, fifth and sixth for the Europa League and seventh for the Europa Conference League. However, the introduction of the UEFA coefficient rankings have created the opportunity for the fifth-placed Premier League side to qualify for the Champions League instead of the Europa League. The rankings are determined by how well teams from their respective nations perform in UEFA’s club competitions. As it stands, England sit first in the club coefficient rankings as Arsenal, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea all remain in European action. It means England are almost nailed on to secure a fifth Champions League spot. Securing that extra Champions League spot for next season is a key domino that needs to fall in this utterly bonkers scenario. Thankfully, the Premier League has untangled the webs to explain how the team that finishes 11th could still secure a berth in the Conference League. We begin with the top four, which is occupied by Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. The first three teams must maintain their positions by the end of the season, but Manchester City need to force their way into the top four for this to work. Should England be awarded an additional spot in next season’s Champions League, that must fall to Newcastle in fifth. Howe’s Newcastle are in the mix for a Champions League spot next seasonGetty Brighton, who sit seventh, will need to improve on their league position and finish sixth which would secure them Europa League football for the second time in the last three seasons. Now here’s where things need to get a little weird. Bournemouth, who have never played European football, must finish seventh and win the FA Cup. Conquering England’s premier domestic cup will not be easy as the Cherries take on Manchester City in the quarter-finals. We then move onto which team needs to finish eighth. Remarkably, that would be Chelsea. Maresca’s Chelsea have stumbled in the league in recent weeksGetty It would require an almighty downturn in form between now and the end of the season for Enzo Maresca‘s side to tumble all the way to eighth. However, only four points separate the Blues from eighth-placed Fulham, so Chelsea dropping down the table can’t be ruled out just yet. Despite needing to have a serious stumble in the league, the scenario requires Chelsea to win the Conference League, which they are already heavy favourites to do so. Should the Blues win the Conference League, it automatically books them a spot in the Europa League. Onto ninth place we go, which is occupied by Aston Villa. Unai Emery‘s side need to remain where they are, but for the scenario to unfold, they need to produce the shock of the decade and win the Champions League. Villa will need Asensio and Rashford at their best if they want a deep European runGetty By doing so, they would retain their spot in Europe’s premier club competition next season. That will be no easy task given the Villans face Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals, with the Parisians edging past Liverpool via a nail-biting penalty shootout in the round of 16. In tenth must be either Manchester United or Tottenham, who are both having poor league seasons by their lofty standards. However, one of those sides must hit a patch of form going into the tail-end of the season. Not only that, but they need to win the Europa League, which would in turn secure them a spot in the Champions League next season. If all of that transpires, it would mean England have a whopping seven clubs competing in the Champions League. GettyA Europa League triumph would mark a third-straight season with a trophy for United[/caption] Thanks to Newcastle and Liverpool’s involvement in the EFL Cup final and all of the top ten teams being involved in European competitions next season, the Conference League spot awarded to the winner of the Carabao Cup, which is Newcastle, goes to the team that finishes 11th. At present, that is Brentford. Since being promoted to the Premier League, Brentford have recorded only one top-half finish. But even if that top-half finish tally remains at one, Bees supporters won’t care one bit if they somehow, by an absolute miracle, are playing in the Conference League next season.
A bottom-half finish in the Premier League could be rewarded with a European berth.
But it’s going to take a drastic number of events for that unthinkable scenario to fall into place.
Traditionally, the top four teams in the Premier League have qualified for the Champions League, fifth and sixth for the Europa League and seventh for the Europa Conference League.
However, the introduction of the UEFA coefficient rankings have created the opportunity for the fifth-placed Premier League side to qualify for the Champions League instead of the Europa League.
The rankings are determined by how well teams from their respective nations perform in UEFA’s club competitions.
As it stands, England sit first in the club coefficient rankings as Arsenal, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea all remain in European action.
It means England are almost nailed on to secure a fifth Champions League spot.
Securing that extra Champions League spot for next season is a key domino that needs to fall in this utterly bonkers scenario.
Thankfully, the Premier League has untangled the webs to explain how the team that finishes 11th could still secure a berth in the Conference League.
We begin with the top four, which is occupied by Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Chelsea.
The first three teams must maintain their positions by the end of the season, but Manchester City need to force their way into the top four for this to work.
Should England be awarded an additional spot in next season’s Champions League, that must fall to Newcastle in fifth.
Brighton, who sit seventh, will need to improve on their league position and finish sixth which would secure them Europa League football for the second time in the last three seasons.
Now here’s where things need to get a little weird.
Bournemouth, who have never played European football, must finish seventh and win the FA Cup.
Conquering England’s premier domestic cup will not be easy as the Cherries take on Manchester City in the quarter-finals.
We then move onto which team needs to finish eighth.
Remarkably, that would be Chelsea.
It would require an almighty downturn in form between now and the end of the season for Enzo Maresca‘s side to tumble all the way to eighth.
However, only four points separate the Blues from eighth-placed Fulham, so Chelsea dropping down the table can’t be ruled out just yet.
Despite needing to have a serious stumble in the league, the scenario requires Chelsea to win the Conference League, which they are already heavy favourites to do so.
Should the Blues win the Conference League, it automatically books them a spot in the Europa League.
Onto ninth place we go, which is occupied by Aston Villa.
Unai Emery‘s side need to remain where they are, but for the scenario to unfold, they need to produce the shock of the decade and win the Champions League.
By doing so, they would retain their spot in Europe’s premier club competition next season.
That will be no easy task given the Villans face Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals, with the Parisians edging past Liverpool via a nail-biting penalty shootout in the round of 16.
In tenth must be either Manchester United or Tottenham, who are both having poor league seasons by their lofty standards.
However, one of those sides must hit a patch of form going into the tail-end of the season.
Not only that, but they need to win the Europa League, which would in turn secure them a spot in the Champions League next season.
If all of that transpires, it would mean England have a whopping seven clubs competing in the Champions League.
Thanks to Newcastle and Liverpool’s involvement in the EFL Cup final and all of the top ten teams being involved in European competitions next season, the Conference League spot awarded to the winner of the Carabao Cup, which is Newcastle, goes to the team that finishes 11th.
At present, that is Brentford.
Since being promoted to the Premier League, Brentford have recorded only one top-half finish.
But even if that top-half finish tally remains at one, Bees supporters won’t care one bit if they somehow, by an absolute miracle, are playing in the Conference League next season.
