Arsenal's 1-0 win over Sporting CP confirms Premier League will get five Champions League places for 2026/27 season, with Man Utd, and Liverpool set to benefit
Kieran King Senior Sports Writer and Will Schofield Senior Sports Reporter
22:40, 07 Apr 2026
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have sealed an extra Champions League spot for the Premier League
View 2 Images
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have sealed an extra Champions League spot for the Premier League(Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea have received a significant boost in their chase for a Champions League spot, following confirmation that the Premier League will be granted FIVE places in next season's competition.
Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Sporting CP on Tuesday has secured an additional place for the Premier League, with the top five teams automatically qualifying for the 2026/27 Champions League.
Currently, this would mean Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool would secure Champions League football next season. Chelsea, currently in sixth place, are still in contention, while Brentford (seventh) and Everton (eighth) could also mount a late challenge.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 1: Harry Maguire of Manchester United celebrates the first goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford on February 1, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Man Utd have been handed a huge boost(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Prior to Arsenal's match against Sporting, the Premier League needed just one draw to secure the extra spot.
With Liverpool set to face Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, and Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace all playing on Thursday, there was a high likelihood that the additional place would be secured this week, reports the Mirror.
And Arsenal have now clinched it for the Premier League with a 1-0 win against Sporting in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Gunners travelled to the Jose Alvalade Stadium aiming to gain an advantage to take back to north London and edge closer to the semi-finals of Europe's premier club competition.
Despite not delivering their most memorable performance, Mikel Arteta's side managed to secure a narrow victory as Kai Havertz netted the winner in stoppage time.
Gabriel Martinelli's pass located Havertz in a pocket of space within the box and the German remained cool-headed before tucking the ball into the bottom corner.
This outcome has put the Gunners in a commanding position to cement their spot in the semi-final, ahead of next Wednesday's second leg at the Emirates Stadium.
Article continues below
If the Gunners progress, they will square off against either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals at the end of this month.