**Premier League Final Day: How Half the Teams Could Book European Football**
The curtain falls on another dramatic Premier League season this Sunday, yet, with the title and relegation positions decided, the fight for European places promises a compelling finale. As Liverpool ready themselves to celebrate a record-equalling 20th English top-flight crown at Anfield, a cluster of top-flight sides are preparing for their own defining fixtures, each vying for European adventures next term.
Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton have long come to terms with a return to Championship football, their fates sealed over recent weeks. But for the rest of the division, the landscape could yet shift dramatically as the final whistle blows on Sunday afternoon. In an unprecedented twist, as many as ten clubs could secure a coveted ticket to continental competition – an outcome shaped by the recent successes of English teams in Europe and the domestic cup competitions.
The European race has received an unexpected shake-up following Tottenham Hotspur’s stunning triumph in the Europa League, coupled with Crystal Palace’s fairytale FA Cup win against Manchester City. With Chelsea also due to contest the Europa Conference League final in the coming week, the door has opened for multiple sides to join the European elite, provided a series of results align favourably.
Recent restructuring by UEFA has important implications for the Premier League’s allocation, especially after an impressive showing by English sides in continental tournaments. Traditionally, the top four Premier League teams would each secure Champions League participation for the following campaign, with fifth place qualifying for the Europa League and the FA Cup winner guaranteed the other Europa League berth.
However, due to an outstanding coefficient performance by English clubs this season, England has clinched a bonus ‘European Performance Spot’, increasing the Champions League contingent. As a consequence, the top five finishers will enter Europe’s most illustrious competition next season, yet, following Spurs’ Europa League win—which assures them a Champions League berth regardless of league position—a sixth Premier League side will also be part of that exclusive lineup.
Currently, Liverpool and Arsenal can look forward to Champions League football having sewn up the top two spots. Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Chelsea sit in the remaining qualification places, but there is little between them, with only three points separating third from seventh. Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest still retain hopes of gate-crashing the party if others falter on the final afternoon, with Forest’s clash with Chelsea standing out as a pivotal fixture.
The intrigue extends to the Europa League race. With the extra Champions League slot, the traditional Premier League fifth-place Europa League spot drops to sixth, while Crystal Palace’s unexpected Wembley success ensures their European qualification regardless of league standing. If Chelsea manage to lift the Conference League trophy, the knock-on effects could enable an eighth-placed finish to be enough for European participation, provided other results fall into place.
There are scenarios where Brighton or Brentford—who contest eighth position and are separated by the slimmest of margins—could profit. Brighton only require a point at Tottenham to secure the spot, but a defeat paired with a win for Brentford at Wolves would see the Bees leapfrog their rivals on goal difference. Their hopes, however, are contingent on Chelsea’s fate in the Conference League final.
If Chelsea prevail and finish no higher than seventh, the door opens for the eighth-placed side to claim a place in the Conference League. More permutations arise if Newcastle, Chelsea, and Aston Villa shuffle positions on the last day, underlining the myriad possibilities and the slender margins at play.
As it stands, a historic ten Premier League clubs could find themselves competing across European competitions next term, ensuring Sunday’s matches are not just an epilogue to the campaign, but a crescendo fraught with opportunity and risk. With European sporting and financial rewards at stake, the final 90 minutes will be watched with bated breath by supporters across the country, all dreaming of continental nights to come.