The Premier League is in a good position to earn a fifth Champions League qualification spot this season
England’s top flight saw five clubs qualify for Europe’s elite tournament last season, instead of the traditional four. Champions Liverpool, alongside Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle United all confirmed their place in the Champions League league stage after finishing in the top five.
The Premier League is now in a strong position to gain the extra qualification spot for a consecutive year, which will be good news for Liverpool in particular. The Reds’ defeat to Man City on Sunday puts them in sixth place, five points behind Manchester United in fourth.
Will the Premier League get five Champions League qualification spots?
It is looking increasingly likely the Premier League will be awarded an extra spot in the 2026/27 Champions League. This is due to the division’s impressive lead at the top of the UEFA coefficient table.
The coefficient table measures each country’s performances across European competitions, based on individual club results. The Premier League had the most teams competing in Europe at the start of the respective campaigns, and all nine are still active.
England currently leads the coefficient rankings, with five teams already through to the next round of the Champions League. Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Man City all finished in the top eight to secure their place in the knockouts. Newcastle are also in contention to join them via the play-offs.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa are second in the Europa League standings and will automatically progress. Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace are due to compete in the Europa League and Conference League play-offs respectively.
Liverpool and Everton will benefit from extra Champions League qualifying spot
If England remain in the top two of the coefficient rankings, which looks very promising, whichever team finishes fifth in the Premier League this season will qualify for the Champions League next season.
This will alleviate a bit of pressure on Liverpool’s shoulders, as their fight for a top four spot continues to encounter dips in the road. The Reds are currently just four points off Chelsea in fifth.
Everton will also be eyeing up a return to European competition as their unbeaten league run continues. The Toffees are eighth in the table but just points adrift of Liverpool.
In fact, there are six points between Liverpool in sixth and Newcastle United in 12th, meaning there is a lot of space for this landscape to shift around between now and the end of the season.
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