Tottenham Hotspur are presently fifth in the Premier League, with Aston Villa only ahead of them in the crucial Champions League slot. However, there is a slim probability that fifth place will suffice to gain entry into Europe’s top tournament, as explained below.
Normally, only the top four Premier League teams are guaranteed a spot in the Champions League the following season. However, with the competition expanding next year, more places are available.
These two extra spaces are chosen by UEFA‘s coefficient ranking system, which is based on how well the teams from each nation performed in European events this year.
With Manchester City and Arsenal eliminated in the Champions League quarterfinals, and Liverpool and West Ham eliminated in the Europa League, England is currently trailing Germany in the coefficient rankings.
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund‘s Champions League victory, as well as Bayer Leverkusen‘s Europa League semi-final appearance, have propelled the Bundesliga into the all-important top two in the rankings.
Italy‘s Serie A has already clinched an extra spot in the Champions League for next season. The Bundesliga presently has 17.928 coefficient points, while the Premier League ranks third with 17.375 points.
Tottenham now sits sixth in the league, six points behind Aston Villa but with two games in hand. A fourth-place finish is far from inevitable, but Villa might help Spurs in that aspect.
How can the Premier League secure five Champions League spots?
Villa must advance past the Europa Conference League semi-finals and win the entire tournament for England to have a chance. Meanwhile, the German sides would need to suffer a terrible defeat before their fortunes might turn around.
German teams only need two more wins from their remaining European games. One win and two draws would be sufficient to terminate the match.
To be honest, I don’t see German clubs failing to get the necessary results to put things beyond doubt, and I don’t believe Villa will win the Conference League. We simply need to control our own destiny and win the remaining games to finish in the top four.
Leave a Comment