The permutations and possibilities as Manchester City look to finalise a place in the 2025/26 Champions League.
Comments
Sport
19:05, 18 May 2025
Manchester City know that Champions League qualification is in their own hands with two Premier League fixtures remaining, having inadvertently given their own chances a boost with defeat in the FA Cup final.
Had City beaten Crystal Palace in the cup final on Saturday, an extra European spot would have gone down to eighth-place in the Premier League. That is because the FA Cup winners earn one of England's Europa League places but City have already secured a European place so that spot would have been given to the next highest finisher in the Premier League.
City's final two opponents, Bournemouth and Fulham, can both still finish eighth although they cannot finish higher. So despite the pain of losing the FA Cup final, playing two sides with nothing to play for could make the task of finishing in the top five a little more straightforward.
The Blues need four points from those two games to seal a top five spot and could still finish as high as second - although Arsenal's win over Newcastle on Sunday means City would have to win both of their remaining games, and hope Arsenal lose at relegated Southampton on the final day.
That win for Arsenal secures their top five spot and means one point separates third to seventh going into the final week and before City's penultimate fixture. If City beat Bournemouth, a point will almost-certainly be enough on the final day and a win will guarantee it.
Arsenal's win also keeps alive one scenario that could still see eighth sneak into the Conference League, even if it is unlikely. Firstly, Chelsea will have to lose their final day clash against Nottingham Forest to slip out of the top five before winning the Conference League final against Real Betis three days later.
Article continues below
If Chelsea win that final they will earn a Europa League place, so the Premier League's allocated Europa League qualification spot will shift down one place. And if Newcastle - already guaranteed at least a Conference League place from winning the Carabao Cup - manage to finish sixth or seventh, then that combination of events will open up a route for eighth to qualify.
The weekend's results mean that the best chance for Bournemouth and Fulham getting into Europe has gone, and relies on an unlikely set of results to go their way on the final day and then a few days later in the Conference League final. For eighth to be relevant in the conversation in Europe, Chelsea must lose to Forest, Newcastle must lose at home to Everton, Aston Villa must beat Aston Villa and City will have to get at least two points - although that could then hamper Bournemouth and Fulham's own chances of bettering Brighton and Brentford's final-day results against Tottenham and Wolves respectively.
City will only focus on themselves, but while the door isn't completely closed for Bournemouth and Fulham, those two fixtures will require full focus to ensure they aren't relying on others on the last day.
---
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.
Article continues below
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
*And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.*