Premier League clubs' UEFA qualification explained

Seven spots in UEFA competitions are available next season. We take a look at who might go where

The qualification for UEFA’s club competitions next season has Premier League clubs vying for seven places.

Here is how which Premier League clubs enter next season’s UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League is decided.

Qualification by league position

Ordinarily qualification goes as the table below, with a maximum of seven European spots available.

*If the winners of the FA Cup finish in the top five, their UEL spot goes to the next-placed team in the PL yet to qualify
**If the winners of the EFL Cup finish in the top five, their UEL spot goes to the next-placed team in the PL yet to qualify

Should a Premier League club win the UEFA Champions League they will automatically qualify for the group stage of next season’s competition regardless of their league finishing position.

A maximum of five Premier League teams are eligible for UEFA Champions League qualification.

In the event that a Premier League club win the UEFA Champions League and another win the UEFA Europa League and neither club finish in the top four of the PL, the club lying fourth in the Premier League will drop into the UEFA Europa League group stage. 

Qualification as things stand

So if things ahead of Matchweek 37 remain at the end of the season, the following teams would qualify for Europe.

UEFA Champions League: Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur (N.B. Liverpool winning the UCL would make no difference)

UEFA Europa League group stage: Chelsea and Arsenal (by dint of Chelsea or Man Utd winning the FA Cup)

UEFA Europa League second qualifying round: Burnley (by finishing seventh)

Were Arsenal to win the UEFA Europa League, their UEL group stage spot would be "upgraded" to a UEFA Champions League one and there would be no other changes.