It was recently confirmed that five English teams will qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League through their final Premier League position in 2025/26. But did you know that the sixth-placed side could also get a spot in Europe's elite club competition?
For this to happen, Aston Villa, who won the UEFA Europa League on Wednesday, would need to finish fifth in the Premier League. That is because fifth place will be given a European Performance Spot (EPS) in the Champions League, as a reward for English clubs' collective progress in Europe this season.
See: What is the European Performance Spot?
Unai Emery's side are currently in fourth place. But having earned a Champions League spot by winning the Europa League, if they drop to fifth in the final Premier League standings on Sunday, the EPS would be passed down to the team finishing sixth.
As it stands, the team who finish sixth qualify for the Europa League through their league position. But if the EPS place and qualification for the Champions League is passed down to sixth, the qualification for the Europa League via the Premier League table would be lost, with that spot passing to another country.
See: How Premier League clubs qualify for Europe
What must happen for Villa to finish fifth?
Villa are currently fourth but would slip to fifth if they lose at Manchester City AND Liverpool win at home against Brentford on the final day.
The two teams would finish level on 62 points, and Liverpool would have a better goal difference.
Who will finish sixth?
As things stand, Bournemouth would be the team to benefit as they are in sixth place on 56 points ahead of travelling to Nottingham Forest on the final day.
But Brighton & Hove Albion are only three points behind, with a better goal difference, so a home win over Manchester United on the final day would give them a chance of grabbing sixth place.
Liverpool could also finish sixth, if they lose to Brentford on Sunday and Bournemouth win at Forest. There would also need to be a six-goal swing in Bournemouth's favour to finish above the Reds.