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The race for the top four in the Premier League is often one of the most intriguing parts of the season as teams battle to qualify for the Champions League.
A place in Europe’s top club competition has long been the main reward for sides finishing second to fourth, but Champions League qualification could now include whichever team finishes in fifth in the 2024/25 season.
The Premier League is currently leading the race for one of the two ‘bonus’ spots that Uefa now award in the expanded Champions League format.
Uefa gives the two extra places to the domestic leagues who perform the best in European competition this season, and it means that the English top-flight could see up to seven teams taking part in the Champions League next season.
Here is everything you need to know about the battle for the extra places.
How does a league earn an extra Champions League place?
Each league in Europe earns a so-called ‘co-efficient ranking’ from Uefa, based on how the teams from that country perform in European competition.
Ranking points are earned through match results, with a nation earning two for a win and one for a draw.
The points are then added up and divided by the number of teams from that nation that are participating in European competitions. This season, there are also bonus points available to sides who play in the Champions League.
England currently leads the table and has just over 100 points – when divided by the seven teams playing in Europe, that gives the league an average of 14.34.
Italy are second in the table, with around 88 points and an average of 11.05.
The extra places in the Champions League are given to the two countries who finish top of the co-efficient table.
The league then gives the spot to the team who finish in the first position below the usual Champions League allocation.
So, as the top four in England already qualify for the Champions League, that means that whoever finishes fifth would also qualify for the 2025/26 edition.
As of 24 January, Opta Analyst gives England a 97.9 per cent chance of finishing in the top two and obtaining one of the extra places.
Which teams could get the additional Champions League place?
At present, the team finishing fifth in the league this season would obtain the extra spot in the 2025/26 Champions League.
This is currently Newcastle, though the Magpies are only one point ahead of Chelsea and Bournemouth in sixth and seventh respectively. Aston Villa are further back in eighth, but they are only three points behind fifth.
In addition to the Champions League places, there will be another two places for Europa League qualification and one for the Conference League.
How else can a club qualify for the Champions League?
In addition to finishing in the qualification spots in their domestic league, clubs can also book a place in next year’s edition if they win this season’s competition.
The Champions League holders automatically get a place in the next season’s competition, irrespective of where they finish in the league. This does not affect the placement of teams who qualify through league position either.
For example, if Manchester City were too drop out of the top five but went on to win the competition this season, then the Premier League would have six places in next season’s Champions League.
The same applies to the winners of the Europa League. If Tottenham or Manchester United were to win that tournament, they would also enter the 2025/26 Champions League, meaning the Premier League could have up to seven teams in the competition next season.
