Aston Villa are in the quarter-final of the Europa League and are in fourth place in the Premier League table
Champions League trophy
Aston Villa have two chances to qualify for next season's Champions League(Image: Getty Images)
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Aston Villa’s only realistic hope for silverware this season rests on the Europa League, which could also be another gateway to the Champions League for next season. Villa are competing on two fronts, where the prize for both is a spot in Europe’s elite cup competition next term.
Unai Emery’s side dropped to fourth place in the Premier League table last weekend after their defeat to Manchester United, and are just two points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool and three clear of sixth-placed Chelsea.
Villa also have the Europa League to look forward to after the international break, having defeated Lille 3-0 on aggregate in their last-16 tie this week, which saw Emery and Co. book a spot in the quarter-final, where Serie A outfit Bologna will be their opponents.
With Villa competing on multiple fronts at the business end of the season, it seems that the outcome of the campaign could have an impact on the rest of the Premier League.
As Tottenham did last season, if Villa were to win the Europa League, they would automatically qualify for next season’s Champions League as a reward for their success.
What may complicate matters is if Villa win the Europa League and also qualify for the Champions League thanks to their position in the Premier League table.
A top-four finish in the Premier League would be enough for a club to qualify for the Champions League, while fifth will almost certainly be enough with poised to get an extra Champions League spot via UEFA’s coefficient rankings.
As a result, Villa finishing in the top four or five in the Premier League and winning the Europa League could see the scenario change for the Champions League qualification picture.
If Villa were to finish fifth in the Premier League and win the Europa League, then another spot could be awarded to English clubs for the Champions League.
Villa finishing fifth would see all of the top five qualify for the Champions League, while sixth could also earn a spot in the competition thanks to the extra place being given to England for their coefficient ranking.
However, if Villa were to finish fourth and win the Europa League, then England would not get a bonus Champions League qualification spot. Then, it would either be the top four or five clubs that qualify, depending on the UEFA coefficient rankings.
Liverpool also have a role to play thanks to their participation in the Champions League.
If the Anfield outfit was to win the trophy, Villa win the Europa League, and both clubs occupy fifth and sixth place in the Premier League, then seventh place in the table would then become enough to qualify for the Champions League.
Claret & Blue verdict
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