Chelsea can salvage what has been a miserable season by clinching qualification to either the Europa League or the Conference League on the final day of the Premier League season.
13:46, 20 May 2026
Chelsea's Argentinian midfielder #08 Enzo Fernandez celebrates scoring the team's first goal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in London on May 19, 2026
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Enzo Fernandez during Chelsea's clash against Tottenham Hotspur(Image: Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea can clinch qualification to either the Europa League or the Conference League on the final day of the Premier League season. On Sunday afternoon, the Blues will lock horns with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light as they look to squeeze into either of UEFA's club competitions.
Following Brentford's draw to Crystal Palace at the weekend, Chelsea climbed to 8th in the English top-flight when they defeated Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night. The Blues leapfrogged Keith Andrews' side on goal difference, with only a point separating them both from Sunderland in 10th.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth snatched a point from Manchester City, meaning Chelsea can finish no higher than seventh. Ahead of the final day of the season, Brighton are 7th with 53 points, Chelsea are 8th with 52 points, Brentford are 9th with 52 points, and Sunderland are 10th with 51 points.
Newcastle United, Everton, and Fulham are all on 49 points in 11th, 12th, and 13th, respectively. Although either the Magpies or the Cottagers, who will lock horns, and the Toffees could match the Blues' tally, they would have to make up at least a seven-goal difference.
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So, with that being said, football.london has weighed up Chelsea's chances of qualifying for either the Europa League or the Conference League:
If Chelsea beat Sunderland, they are guaranteed to finish no lower than 8th in the Premier League and subsequently seal a place in either the Europa League or the Conference League. If Brighton drop points when they face Manchester United, the Blues will climb into 7th and qualify for the Europa League.
If Chelsea draw to Sunderland, they can finish 8th and qualify for the Conference League, so long as Brentford lose or draw to Liverpool. If Calum McFarlane's side were to only bank a point, they would, however, drop to ninth if the Bees win all three points at Anfield.
If Chelsea lose to Sunderland, they will be overtaken by Régis Le Bris' side and fail to qualify for either the Europa League or the Conference League.
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Speaking to reporters at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening, the interim Chelsea boss commented on the race for European football. McFarlane said: "I said it at the beginning of the game, and we said it after the City game that we need to put that behind us.
"The cup final's gone. We need to try and win two games out of two. We've done one now, and we've got to go again on Sunday and do that again."
He continued: "I genuinely think that they've shown that. The results haven't been good enough recently. We know that everyone's spoken about that. But the fight and determination has been questioned at times, and some of the performance, maybe that's right.
"But I don't think it's extra motivation. I think this group wants to win every single game of football, and we just haven't been able to do that.
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"But that will give us confidence. We haven't won in a while in the Premier League. We haven't won at the Bridge in a while. So that's something to definitely go off."
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