How Six Premier League Teams Can Qualify for the Champions League

The Premier League could have six Champions League teams for the second successive season.

Aston Villa’s European success opens the door to an extra English qualifier for the Champions League. | Serhat Cagdas/Anadolu/Getty Images

It wasn’t just Aston Villa supporters who celebrated the club’s 3–0 Europa League final win over Freiburg on Wednesday night, with fans of several other Premier League sides cheering on Unai Emery’s men.

Stunners from Youri Tielemans and Emi Buendía were added to by Morgan Rogers as Villa cruised to their first piece of European silverware since 1982, and their triumph could have a dramatic impact on the race for Champions League qualification.

As things stand, only England’s top five will enter Europe’s premier competition next season, but Villa’s win in Istanbul could ensure that the team in sixth qualifies come the end of Sunday’s final round of Premier League fixtures.

Here’s how that could happen.

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How Six Premier League Teams Can Qualify for the Champions League

Bournemouth and Brighton are competing for sixth. | Pedro Porru/MB Media/Getty Images

Four of the top five have already confirmed their place in next season’s Champions League. Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Villa have all booked their spot and will be joined by either Liverpool or Bournemouth—almost certainly the former.

England’s UEFA coefficient means it’s earned an extra Champions League spot for 2026–27 and that is currently being taken up by Liverpool in fifth. The winner of the Europa League is also guaranteed a Champions League berth.

Therefore, if Villa were to finish fifth, their bonus spot would be taken up by the team that comes sixth in the Premier League, due to the fact that Villa have already secured an extra performance slot based on winning the Europa League.

For Villa to finish fifth, they must lose their final game of the season away at Man City, while Liverpool would also need to beat Brentford at home in their finale. The Reds’ superior goal difference means they would leapfrog Villa into fourth in that scenario.

Liverpool need to beat Brentford for sixth to secure Champions League. | Liverpool FC/Getty Images

If that occurs, then the team who comes sixth—currently Bournemouth—would also qualify for the Champions League. The Cherries know a draw would be enough in their game away at Nottingham Forest to clinch sixth place, while there is a very slight chance of them finishing fifth with victory at the City Ground, too.

Brighton & Hove Albion are the only other team that could finish sixth and qualify for the Champions League, but they would need to win at home to Manchester United on the final day and hope Bournemouth lose at Forest.

Eighth-placed Chelsea are unable to climb high enough to re-enter the Champions League given they are four points adrift of Bournemouth.

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