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Monday 17 May 2021 2:59 pm

Premier League and the race for European places: Which teams can still qualify for the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League?

By: Frank Dalleres

Sports Editor

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Chelsea and Leicester meet on Tuesday in the Premier League in a match with huge remifications for Champions League qualification
Chelsea and Leicester meet on Tuesday in the Premier League in a match with huge remifications for Champions League qualification

The Premier League title and relegation may have been decided, but with two rounds of games to go one important question remains: who will qualify for Europe?

Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League places are still up for grabs ahead of Gameweek 37, which begins on Tuesday 18 May.

That means Leicester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Everton, Arsenal and Leeds United have all to play for.

Who could qualify for the Champions League?

Manchester City, as champions, and Manchester United, who can finish no lower than fourth, are already assured a place in European club football’s top competition.

But below them five teams remain in the hunt for the remaining two spots: Leicester, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and West Ham.

Leicester are in the strongest position and can clinch a return to the Champions League with victory over Chelsea on Tuesday.

But the FA Cup winners also have the toughest remaining fixtures, finishing with a home match against Spurs on Sunday.

Chelsea will qualify if they hold off the charge of Liverpool, who are one point behind in fifth following goalkeeper Alisson’s heroics at the weekend.

The Blues follow the midweek visit from Leicester with a trip to Aston Villa, while Liverpool go to Burnley on Wednesday and host Crystal Palace on Sunday. 

Tottenham are relying on a huge late swing to snatch a top-four place, while West Ham need something close to a miracle.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson's sensational injury-time header kept them hot on the heels of Chelsea for a Champions League place
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson’s sensational injury-time header kept them hot on the heels of Chelsea for a Champions League place

Spurs must beat Villa and Leicester and hope that the Foxes and Liverpool fail to win any other games.

West Ham, who have a far worse goal difference, need maximum points from games with West Brom and Southampton to have any hope of overtaking Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham.

Who could qualify for the Europa League?

Any two of eight Premier League teams could yet finish in the Europa League qualifying places. 

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Liverpool and Tottenham currently occupy fifth and sixth in the table. 

But Leicester and Chelsea could yet drop into the mix, while West Ham, Everton, Arsenal and – mathematically, at least – Leeds can still climb sufficiently.

Everton, who lie three points behind sixth-placed Spurs and have much worse goal difference, are still to play Wolves and Manchester City.

Arsenal, who are a further point behind, face Crystal Palace and Brighton. 

Leeds are six points off Spurs so would need to beat Southampton and West Brom while seeing a wildly improbable 18-goal swing in their favour to gatecrash the top six.   

Who could qualify for the Europa Conference League?

Uefa’s new, third tier of European club competition, the Europa Conference League, debuts next season.

The Premier League will provide one team which, given that Manchester City won the Carabao Cup and have already booked a Champions League spot, will go to whoever finishes seventh.

That could be anyone from Chelsea, in third, to Leeds, in 10th. Realistically, though, it looks to be between Tottenham and West Ham. 

What happens if an English club wins the Champions League or Europa League?

The Champions League final between Manchester City and Chelsea could yet have a bearing on which English teams qualify for Europe.

A City win wouldn’t change anything, but Chelsea could sneak into the Champions League even if they fail to finish in the top four by lifting the trophy later this month.

In that event there would be five Premier League sides in next season’s Champions League.

Manchester United’s result in the Europa League final against Villarreal will not affect which English teams qualify for European competition.   

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