Premier League seals extra UCL berth for next season
The Premier League secured an additional berth in the 2025-26 Champions League by virtue of Arsenal's big win over Real Madrid on Tuesday.
The Gunners' 3-0 quarterfinal first-leg victory ensured that whichever club finishes 5th in England's top flight will compete in Europe's elite club competition next season.
The European Performance Spot (EPS) was introduced by UEFA last year prior to the Champions League adopting a revamped 36-team format. Two leagues get rewarded with one extra place each.
Last season, Italy and Germany were the beneficiaries, with Bologna and Borussia Dortmund qualifying for this season's Champions League thanks to fifth-place finishes in their respective domestic divisions.
With England locking up one of the extra slots for 2025-26, the battle for the other berth is down to La Liga and Serie A.
Spain's top tier is currently second in UEFA's coefficient table. The door remains open for Serie A to overtake La Liga if Inter Milan, Lazio, and Fiorentina make deep runs in the three European competitions while Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, and Real Betis falter.
A potential Champions League semifinal meeting between Inter and Barca would likely be a must-win for Serie A.
Coefficient table
| Rank | League | Points | Teams Left |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Premier League | 24.535 | 5/7 |
| 2. | La Liga | 21.964 | 4/7 |
| 3. | Serie A | 20.187 | 3/8 |
(Courtesy: Dale Johnson, ESPN)
In England, the race for a top-five spot looks set to go down to the final weeks of the campaign. Champions-elect Liverpool and Arsenal are all but over the line, with as many as seven teams in the mix behind them. Manchester City would miss out on the Champions League if the season ended today.
Premier League table
| Club | Played | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Liverpool | 31 | +42 | 73 |
| 2. Arsenal | 31 | +30 | 62 |
| 3. Nottingham Forest | 31 | +14 | 57 |
| 4. Chelsea | 31 | +17 | 53 |
| 5. Newcastle | 30 | +13 | 53 |
| 6. Man City | 31 | +17 | 52 |
| 7. Aston Villa | 31 | 0 | 51 |
| 8. Fulham | 31 | +5 | 48 |
| 9. Brighton | 31 | +2 | 47 |
The Premier League could send a maximum of seven teams to next season's Champions League if Aston Villa win this season's tournament - they need to overcome a 3-1 deficit versus Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their quarterfinal tie - and one of Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur win the Europa League title.
With Chelsea favorites to capture the Conference League title, it's possible for the Premier League to have 11 sides in Europe next season.