Despite failing to win over the weekend, only three clubs now have the potential to overtake Liverpool in the race for Champions League football.
With three games remaining in the Premier League campaign, five clubs are competing for the final two Champions League spots for next season’s iteration.
Liverpool are currently fourth, ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference, and were handed a boost with Nottingham Forest‘s 3-1 win at Chelsea, which officially eliminated the Blues from top-five contention.
Instead, only Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, and Brighton remain mathematically capable of surpassing the Reds’ current tally of 58 points.
Champions League Race: Who can still catch Liverpool?
Club Pts Max GD
Liverpool 58 67 +12
Aston Villa 58 67 +4
B’mouth 52 61 +3
Brentford 51 60 +6
Brighton 50 59 +7
* Permutations based on 3 games remaining as of May 5, 2026.
As it stands, Liverpool need four more points to guarantee a place in Europe’s premier competition.
While Bournemouth can still reach 61 points, their inferior goal difference means a single win from Slot’s side will likely be enough to achieve the bare minimum asked of them this season.
The Reds face Chelsea (H), Villa (A) and Brentford (H) in their three remaining games, and could put all the permutations to bed with a victory on Saturday and other results falling their way.
Could the Premier League have 6 Champions League spots?
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, November 9, 2024: Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Aston Villa FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 2-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
This remains a possibility, but it first relies on Villa overturning the 1-0 deficit in their Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
If Unai Emery’s side did progress to the final and lift the trophy, while also finishing fifth in the table, the Premier League‘s fifth Champions League spot would be inherited by the team in sixth.
This is because they would earn a place in the competition via the Europa League, thus passing down the European Performance Spot to the next-best team in the table.
If Villa won the Europa League and finished in the top four, however, there would be no sixth Champions League spot.
It only becomes a possibility if Villa overturn the deficit on Thursday evening, but they do have home advantage.
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