What Chelsea Need on Premier League Final Day to Qualify for Europe

Chelsea enter the final matchday of the Premier League season in eighth place.

Chelsea can still qualify for Europe. | PETER POWELL/AFP/Getty Images

As the 2024–25 Europa Conference League winners and 2025 Club World Cup champions, Chelsea were expected to kick on this season to even greater heights—especially after another summer of heavy investment in the transfer market.

Instead, the Blues enter the final matchday of the Premier League season in eighth place, behind Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth, with a real danger they may not even qualify for European soccer next season.

They still can qualify, but it will not be easy—especially with a final-day trip to the Stadium of Light to face fellow European contenders Sunderland awaiting them.

Here’s what needs to happen on the final day for Chelsea to secure European qualification for next season.

---

How Chelsea Can Qualify for Europe on Final Day of Premier League Season

Chelsea need Europe. | Jacques Feeney/Offside/Getty Images

Chelsea can no longer qualify for the Champions League but remain in contention for either the Europa League or the Conference League.

Brace yourself—it gets a little complicated.

Sitting on 52 points, Chelsea are out of reach of Bournemouth in sixth place and are realistically battling for finishes between seventh and 10th. While Newcastle United, Everton and Fulham sit just three points behind in 11th, 12th and 13th respectively, they would need a significant swing in goal difference to realistically overtake the Blues.

That leaves Chelsea competing directly with Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford and Sunderland. Going into the final day, just two points separate the four sides, with seventh place securing Europa League qualification and eighth place earning a spot in the Conference League.

---

Premier League Table Ahead of Season Finale

Position	Team	Goal Difference	Points	UEFA Qualification
7.	Brighton & Hove Albion	+9	53	Europa League
8.	Chelsea	+7	52	Conference League
9.	Brentford	+3	52	—
10.	Sunderland	-7	51	—

---

To finish in the Europa League places, Chelsea must better Brighton’s result on Sunday.

If Brighton—who hold a one-point advantage—beat Manchester United, they will secure seventh place and at least Europa League soccer regardless of other results.

---

Enzo Fernández (left) is hoping to make some international calls next season. | Chris Lee/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

Chelsea Beat Sunderland

In the event that Chelsea end the campaign on a high and beat Sunderland, they would still require Brighton to drop points to leapfrog the Seagulls, moving them into strong position for Europa League qualification.

Unless Brentford overturn Chelsea’s superior goal difference by thrashing Liverpool by a margin of at least four goals more than the Blues’ victory, Calum McFarlane would end the season in seventh.

---

Chelsea Draw With Sunderland

Should Chelsea and Sunderland play out a stalemate at the Stadium of Light, seventh place is still possible, but only if Brentford fail to win and Brighton lose to Manchester United by at least two goals.

If Brighton pick up a point while Brentford do not win, Chelsea would finish eighth. However, a Brentford victory at Anfield would see them overtake Chelsea entirely, dropping the Blues down to ninth.

---

Chelsea Beaten by Sunderland

If Chelsea lose to Sunderland, their European hopes end, with both Brighton and Sunderland guaranteed to finish above them.

---

In simple terms: beat Sunderland and hope Brighton drop points, while also hoping Brentford don’t produce an unlikely big win at Liverpool. For the Conference League spot, even if Brighton win, Chelsea still need victory and Brentford not to demolish Liverpool.

In reality, a win should be enough to secure some form of European soccer next season—but in the Premier League, stranger things have certainly happened.

---