Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea have received a huge boost to qualify for the Champions League after it was confirmed they will be given five spots in the Premier League for next season.
Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Sporting CP on Tuesday secured an extra spot in the Premier League, with the top five clubs automatically qualifying for the 2026/27 Champions League.
As it stands, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool will be competing in next season’s Champions League. Chelsea occupy sixth place and remain firmly in contention, while Brentford (seventh) and Everton (eighth) are among the other teams that could mount a challenge late on.
Before Arsenal’s visit to Sporting, the Premier League needed one more draw to earn an extra spot. Liverpool face Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, with Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace also in action on Thursday, so there was every chance of an extra spot being confirmed this week.
Arsenal defeated Sporting 1-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, qualifying for the Premier League.
The Gunners took the advantage back to north London and headed to the Jose Alvalade Stadium looking to firmly establish themselves in the semi-finals of Europe’s most prestigious club competition.
It was far from a vintage game, but in the end Mikel Arteta’s side narrowly won with Kai Havertz scoring in stoppage time. A well-weighted pass from Gabriel Martinelli gave Havertz space in the penalty area, and the German kept his nerve and coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
The result puts the Gunners in a good position to secure a place in the semi-finals ahead of next Wednesday’s second leg at the Emirates Stadium. If Arsenal advance, they will face either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in the last four later this month.
