The race to qualify for European football next season is set for a thrilling conclusion as the 38th game week of the 2023/24 season approaches on Sunday.
Following Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 defeat by Manchester City on Tuesday, Aston Villa are now guaranteed UEFA Champions League football next season. They will join the top three teams – Man City, Arsenal, and Liverpool – in the prestigious competition.
Although the title is yet to be decided as Arsenal and City can still grab the win. City tops the table with 2 points difference with Arsenal coming second.
A win for City will give Pep Guadiola’s side a fourth consecutive title. Arsenal on the other hand is seeking to end a 20-year title drought. If they secure a win on Sunday, they hope City lose or draw.
However, the battle for Europan football continues as four teams seek to qualify for the Europa League and Conference League.
PUNCH Online gives a detailed analysis of all to know about who qualifies for Europe;
Who will finish fifth?
After missing out on the top four, Spurs need only a point from Sunday’s trip to Sheffield United to guarantee fifth spot and a place in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) group stage next season. However, the task won’t be easy, as Sheffield United may be a formidable opponent.
What do the team in sixth get?
As it stands, the team in sixth place at the end of the season will earn a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL). This is the spot transferred over from the EFL Cup winners, Liverpool, to the club in the highest league place not qualifying for a UEFA club competition (which is currently sixth).
Chelsea moved into sixth place on Wednesday after a 2-1 win at Brighton & Hove Albion. They could yet overtake Spurs and finish fifth if the Blues beat AFC Bournemouth on the final day and Spurs lose at Sheff Utd.
Newcastle United have dropped to seventh, while Manchester United are eighth, outside the European places. But the Red Devils moved level with Newcastle by beating the Magpies on Wednesday.
Impact of FA Cup winners
Whether sixth place qualifies for the Europa Conference League or Europa League, and whether seventh merits a place in UEFA competitions next season, depends on the outcome of the FA Cup final between Man Utd and Man City.
If Man City lift the FA Cup on Saturday 25 May, the place in the Europa League group stage that the FA Cup winners earn is transferred to the highest-placed league spot without qualifying for a UEFA competition.
As the UEL is of a higher rank than the UECL, sixth place in the Premier League would qualify for the Europa League, with the Europa Conference League spot moving to the club finishing seventh.
Should Man Utd triumph at Wembley and finish in the top six, they would qualify for the Europa League, while the team finishing fifth would join them in that competition, and the club in seventh would go into the Europa Conference League.
But if Man Utd beat Man City in the FA Cup final and finish seventh or eighth in the Premier League, only the side in fifth would join United in the Europa League, with the team finishing sixth playing in the Europa Conference League next season.
The outcome of the FA Cup final and the final Premier League standings will have a significant impact on the European qualification scenarios, adding an extra layer of excitement to the concluding stages of the season.
