How Liverpool, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brighton’s Remaining Premier League Fixtures Compare

Only three teams have qualified for the Champions League so far this season.

The race for Champions League qualification isn’t done quite yet. | Visionhaus/James Gill-Danehouse/Catherine Ivill-AMA/Getty Images

The Premier League season’s tense finale will result in an almighty scramble for the remaining Champions League places.

Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United have all secured their place in the competition next season, but two more Premier League teams will join them come the end of the season. Finishing in the top five will be enough, and sixth place might even be rewarded with a Champions League spot.

Currently, Liverpool lead the way, sat in fourth on 59 points. However, Aston Villa (58) have a game in hand on the Reds, while Bournemouth (55) and Brighton & Hove Albion (53) are not out of the equation yet with two games left.

Here is how the fixture list looks for those competing for Champions League qualification.

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Liverpool, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Brighton’s Remaining Fixtures

Liverpool are currently leading the pack. | Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Liverpool	Aston Villa	Bournemouth	Brighton
	Burnley (A) – May 10
Aston Villa (A) – May 15	Liverpool (H) – May 15	Man City (H) – May 19	Leeds (A) – May 17
Brentford (H) – May 24	Man City (A) – May 24	Nott’m Forest (A) – May 24	Man Utd (H) – May 24

Liverpool are in pole position to secure Champions League qualification—for now, at least—with a victory from either of their final two Premier League matches enough to guarantee a top-five berth. However, they face awkward battles in their last games of the season.

The Reds will want to wrap up Champions League qualification next Friday, but will have to overcome chasers Aston Villa on the road. Only a maximum of three points are required for Liverpool, meaning a draw at Villa Park could be enough depending on how those beneath them perform two days later.

If Liverpool don’t clinch qualification in the Midlands, then they might be required to win their final match of the campaign at home to Brentford, who themselves remain in the hunt for a European place of some description.

Aston Villa are close to confirming qualification. | Marc Atkins/AVFC/Aston Villa FC/Getty Images

Aston Villa will prove definitive in the Champions League race. Should Unai Emery’s side win the Europa League final against Freiburg and then finish fifth, it means the team that comes sixth in the Premier League will also qualify for Europe’s premier competition next term.

Villa will want to have sealed qualification prior to the Europa League final, however, and can do so during matches away at Burnley this Sunday and at home to Liverpool afterward. They won’t want to be traveling to Manchester City on the final day needing points.

Currently occupying sixth place are Bournemouth, whose recent win over Fulham has kept their Champions League dream alive. They know they’re playing catch up, though, and need at least one victory from their final two games to give themselves a chance. Back-to-back wins would boost their chances of sneaking into fifth.

Bournemouth have embarked on a 15-match unbeaten run that means even their clash at home to Man City on May 19 will not faze them. The Cherries then travel to Nottingham Forest—who are still technically in the relegation fight—for Andoni Iraola’s final game in charge.

Bournemouth and Brighton still believe. | Pedro Porru/MB Media/Getty Images

Brighton will fear they have left their Champions League push a touch too late. Currently five points behind fifth, they know they must win their final two games of the season, while also hoping for Villa to take just one point from their last three games or Liverpool to lose both remaining matches.

With sixth also possibly enough for Champions League, Fabian Hürzeler and his players will be desperate to secure maximum points from their trip to Leeds United and subsequent home match with Manchester United.

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