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How UEFA qualification for 2021/22 Premier League clubs will work

3 May 2022
UEFA Champions League Trophy

Find out who will be playing the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League next season

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A clearer picture is emerging of how Premier League clubs can qualify for UEFA competitions in 2022/23.

This season the seven places in European competitions traditionally reserved for English clubs are likely to all be allocated via league positions.

EFL and FA Cup places transferred

This is because Liverpool, who are guaranteed a top-five finish and qualification through league position for at least the UEFA Europa League, have won the EFL Cup, where the winners qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL).

That means the UECL place will go to the highest-placed club in the Premier League table not qualified for UEFA competition.

Race for Europe

Position Pos Club Played Pl GD Points Pts
1 Manchester City MCI 38 +61 89
2 Arsenal ARS 38 +45 84
3 Manchester United MUN 38 +15 75
4 Newcastle United NEW 38 +35 71
5 Liverpool LIV 38 +28 67
6 Brighton & Hove Albion BHA 38 +19 62
7 Aston Villa AVL 38 +5 61
8 Tottenham Hotspur TOT 38 +7 60
9 Brentford BRE 38 +12 59
10 Fulham FUL 38 +2 52
View More

Liverpool also face Chelsea in the FA Cup final on 14 May, where the winners usually qualify for the UEFA Europa League.

While the third-placed Blues are not yet guaranteed a top-five finish, their current position makes them likely to qualify for at least the UEL.

Top-four finishers

The top four Premier League finishers qualify for the UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage. If the season finished today, those spots would be taken by Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Liverpool have reached this year's UEFA Champions League final but as they are guaranteed to finish in the top four, their qualification for the UCL through their league position is not transferred to another team even if they beat Real Madrid to win this season's competition.  

Fifth place qualifies for the UEFA Europa League (UEL) group stage.

If Chelsea finish at least fourth, the UEL group-stage place reserved for the FA Cup winners will go to the sixth-placed team.

The team finishing seventh in the Premier League will therefore go into next season's UEFA Europa Conference League.

PL clubs in Europe
Position UEFA competition
1 UCL
2 UCL
3 UCL
4 UCL
5 UEL
6 UEL*
7 UECL**

*FA Cup winners' place; ** EFL Cup winners' place

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