The race for Champions League football – everything you need to know | OneFootball

The Premier League race for Champions League football is hotting up with only four points separating Manchester City in third place and Aston Villa in seventh.

Arsenal’s 3-0 win in the first-leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid confirmed that the fifth placed Premier League side will be playing in the competition next season.

Five teams are currently competing for the third, fourth and fifth spots as Arsenal and Liverpool are to be too far ahead in the top two places.

As it stands:

Premier League table – 3rd to 7th

The teams with a chance:

Manchester City fans are used to having Champions League football already wrapped up by the final five games of the campaign but, due to their sides drop off in form, they may not even qualify for next seasons competition at all.

The 1980/81 season was the last time that Nottingham Forest qualifed for Europe’s top club competition, but this seasons surprise package currently sit in fourth place with a very real chance of playing Champions League football next season.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle have already cemented their spot in European competition after they won the League Cup in February, but they’ll want to get back into the Champions League after a year outside of the competition. Despite their 4-1 loss to Aston Villa at the weekend the Magpies sit in 5th poisition.

Chelsea last won the Champions League in 2021 beating Manchester City in the final but have not qualified for the competition since the 2022/23 season. Enzo Maresca’s side will want to put that right.

Aston Villa were knocked out of this years Champions League by Paris St. Germain at the quarter-final stage but they are still in with a chance of playing in the competition again next season. Their late loss to Manchester City may have dented their hopes but they are still in the running.

The run in:

Manchester City: Wolves (H), Southampton (A), Bournemouth (H), Fulham (A)

Manchester City end their season away at Craven Cottage against a Fulham side who are also aiming to get into Europe this season.

Nottingham Forest: Brentford (H), Crystal Palace (A), Leicester City (H), West Ham (A), Chelsea (H)

Nottingham Forest have five more games in their to cap off a memorable season with Champions League football. Their match against fellow top-five hopefuls Chelsea on the final day could prove to be decisive.

Newcastle: Ipswich (H), Brighton (A), Chelsea (H), Arsenal (A), Everton (H)

Newcastle finish the season at home to Everton who are already safe from relegation, however, their last five fixtures also include trips to Arsenal and Brighton. Their match against Chelsea at home could be seen as a six-pointer.

Chelsea: Everton (H), Liverpool (H), Newcastle (A), Manchester United (H), Nottingham Forest (A)

Chelsea have the toughest run in facing fellow top-five hopefuls Nottingham Forest and Newcastle either side of a match against Manchester United. The Blues also have to play the Conference League semi-final which includes an away trip to Sweden which could make things harder for them.

Aston Villa: Fulham (H), Bournemouth (A), Tottenham (H), Manchester United (A)

Aston Villa only have four matches left to try and get back into the top five. The United and Spurs fixtures fall either side of the Europa League final which both of those sides still could be participating in.