Highlights: Raya scores in stoppage time for Arsenal with Havertz goal
Video credit: TNT Sports
This is the second consecutive season that Britain’s top airline has won the European Performance Spot (EPS).
UEFA will award additional spots in Europe’s elite competitions to the two leagues with the best overall results: the Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
The Premier League remained at the top of the EPS table for much of the season, with all nine of England’s European clubs reaching the last 16 of their respective tournaments.
This placed the league in a sufficiently strong position that poor performance in the knockout stages, particularly in the Champions League, meant that they were not stripped of their top spot despite four of England’s six teams being eliminated in the round of 16.
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‘Arsenal have done their job’ – Havertz leads Gunners to dramatic win
Video credit: TNT Sports
A fifth-place finish would be enough to secure Champions League qualification and would provide an interesting end to the domestic campaign, with a number of teams currently competing for vital positions.
Liverpool currently sit in fifth place, five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa and six points behind Manchester United.
Chelsea are Arne Slott’s side’s closest challengers, sitting in sixth place, just one point behind.
Brentford and Everton trail Liverpool by three points, while Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion, Sunderland, Newcastle United and Bournemouth are all within seven points.
If Liverpool fail to finish in the top five but win the Champions League, six English teams will qualify for next season’s tournament.
Similarly, if Aston Villa finish outside the top five and win the Europa League, or Nottingham Forest win the Europa League, six teams from the Premier League will qualify for the Champions League.
That was the case this season too, with Newcastle benefiting from EPS by finishing fifth in the league, while Spurs qualified thanks to winning the Europa League.
If Liverpool or Aston Villa win their respective European competitions and finish fifth domestically, the team in sixth place in the Premier League will qualify for the Champions League thanks to their EPS position.
If both teams advance to Europe and finish 5th and 6th in the league, the 7th place team will qualify for the Champions League.
