Manchester City were held to a 2-2 against Brighton on Saturday but their Champions League qualification hopes have been boosted this week
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Manchester City are among the clubs battling to qualify for next season's Champions League
Manchester City are among the clubs battling to qualify for next season's Champions League
(Image: Photo by Mike Morese | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Manchester City's hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League have been boosted after five English clubs progressed into the quarter-finals of UEFA competitions this week.
City were knocked out of this season's competition by Real Madrid after losing their play-off tie 6-3 on aggregate last month. While Pep Guardiola's side remain in contention for the FA Cup, their season now rests on Champions League qualification after their title hopes diminished back in December.
The current champions are at risk of missing out following their 2-2 draw against Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon. Despite goals from Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush, City were twice pegged back by the Seagulls and had to settle for just a point.
City remain fifth in the table, but just six points currently separates them and Fulham in 10th. Newcastle United, Brighton, Aston Villa and Bournemouth are all among the clubs battling it out for Champions League qualification this term.
It is for that reason a fifth qualification spot comes as a welcome boost for Premier League clubs, including City. Due to the progression of five English clubs into the quarter-finals of UEFA's three competitions, the Premier League is one of the favourites to be rewarded with an additional Champions League spot.
Two leagues in Europe this season will be handed an extra spot, which will be based on their record in UEFA's competitions in the current campaign. Despite City's early exit after the league phase, as well as Liverpool's shock penalty shootout to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 of the Champions League, England still lead the way in UEFA's coefficient ranking with the five teams remaining across all competitions.
Spain are next in the rankings with four teams left, followed by Germany and Italy, who are both on three. It has also been revealed that up to seven English clubs could qualify for next season's Champions League if certain conditions are met.
This is because both the winners of the Champions League and Europa League automatically qualify for the following year. If a fifth spot were to be allocated to the Premier League, and English clubs outside of the top five won both of those competitions, seven in total would qualify.
For City, the likely addition of a fifth spot would certainly boosts their chances That being said, the level of competition in the top 10 this season means they cannot afford to drop many more points between now and the end of the campaign, even with the additional place up for grabs.