The English Premier League will have at least five teams in the Champions League next season after securing a “European Performance Spot” for the second consecutive year.
UEFA awards an additional spot to the two leagues with the best overall performance across the three European competitions.
The Premier League topped the performance points table for most of the season, with all nine of its participating clubs reaching the Round of 16 in the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa League.
This extra spot was confirmed on Tuesday after Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
The race for fifth place in the Premier League is incredibly tight, with Liverpool currently occupying it on 49 points. Arne Slott’s side are only seven points ahead of 13th-placed Bournemouth.
The possibility remains that the number of English teams in the Champions League could increase to six or seven if Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest win the Europa League and finish outside the top four, or if Liverpool win the Champions League despite finishing outside the top four.
Spain is the favorite to secure second place, ahead of Germany and Portugal, although the Bundesliga remains a strong contender after Bayern Munich’s 2-1 victory over Real Madrid.
