Newcastle United are eyeing a Champions League returnNewcastle United are eyeing a Champions League return
Newcastle United are eyeing a Champions League return | getty
The battle for Champions League qualification is set to take another turn tonight with four hopeful teams in action.
Fifth-placed Chelsea host Manchester United at Stamford Bridge (8:15pm kick-off). A win for Chelsea would take them above Man City and up to fourth in the Premier League table, while a win by five goals would see them move into third ahead of Newcastle United.
Newcastle travel to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, knowing a win would effectively confirm Champions League qualification. Arsenal need just one more point from their final two games to do the same.
While Newcastle can’t drop out of the Champions League places this weekend, they face a nervous wait with Villa, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest all in action before they kick off at the Emirates Stadium.
Historically, matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United would be viewed as tough match-ups for Villa and Chelsea. But with Spurs and Man United sitting 17th and 16th in the Premier League table while also reaching the Europa League final, tonight is a slightly different story.
Neither team can get relegated from the Premier League yet both can still qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League. The final takes place in Bilbao on May 21 (8pm kick-off).
Six Premier League clubs guaranteed Champions League football
For the first time ever, six Premier League sides will be competing in the same Champions League competition next season.
This is due to new UEFA coefficient rules as well as the unique manner in which Spurs and Manchester United have struggled domestically while making the Europa League final.
The European Performance Spots rule introduced by UEFA last season sees the two nations whose clubs have performed the best across European competitions awarded an extra Champions League place. This season, England and Spain have been handed a fifth Champions League spot based on league position.
It’s potentially a boost to clubs like Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Forest who are chasing Champions League football in the Premier League. Even Manchester City, who have let standards slip this season have an added safety net of finishing fifth yet still qualifying.
But the two worst-performing Premier League sides so far this season not to be relegated, will be able to secure Champions League qualification before some of the sides competing at the top of the table, despite sitting 24 and 25 points outside the top five.
Both sides confirmed their place in the Europa League final last Thursday night. Spurs beat Bodo/Glimt 5-1 on aggregate in the semi-final while Manchester United beat Athletic Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate.
Newcastle United guaranteed European football
After missing out on European football by finishing seventh last season, Newcastle were actually the first English club to secure European qualification this season as they won the Carabao Cup back in March.
But the club have made no secret of their loftier ambitions to qualify for the Champions League and are on course to do so as they sit third in the table with two games left to play. A point against Arsenal would guarantee a top six finish for Newcastle and at least Europa League football for next season while a win guarantees top five and Champions League qualification.
Newcastle’s Conference League spot is set to be passed down the Premier League table. As things stand it will go to seventh place in the table though that will drop to eighth should Manchester City win the FA Cup.
Eighth place could still get Europa League football if Chelsea win the Conference League and finish seventh and Manchester City win the FA Cup. In that instance, the European Performance Spot would bypass Chelsea and the additional Europa League place would go to eighth place with the Conference League place being removed.
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