Nine teams, four spots - Premier League set for European scramble

Penultimate matchday offers more drama

The games played so far in the penultimate set of Premier League fixtures have delivered more drama to leave European qualification further tangled.

Seventh-placed Brighton could have guaranteed a place in Europe with a win at Leeds United but instead Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s dramatic late winner severely dented their chances.

Brentford missed out on an opportunity to move above the Seagulls after settling for an equally enthralling 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace to stay eighth.

Sunderland have pulled themselves back into contention with a stunning 3-1 victory against fellow hopefuls Everton, leapfrogging the Toffees into ninth.

There was also a 3-1 win for Newcastle who kept their faint hopes alive by defeating relegation-threatened West Ham to move level on points with 10th-placed Chelsea, who face Tottenham on Tuesday.

Fulham, 13th, ground out a 1-1 draw against bottom side Wolves. Mathematically, they can still finish eighth and secure European football but their realistic hopes are over given they would require a huge goal difference swing even if all results went in their favour.

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Who can still qualify for Champions League?

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Aston Villa have already secured their passage to 2026-27 Champions League.

Premier League claimed a fifth spot in Europe’s premier club competition through Uefa’s European Performance Spots (EPS) and Liverpool currently sit fifth on 59 points.

However, the Reds, who Villa beat to book their place in the Champions League on Friday, are not yet mathematically guaranteed a place in the competition.

Sixth-placed Bournemouth are only four points behind and have a game in hand against title-chasing Manchester City.

The Cherries only need one more point to guarantee a top-eight finish but if they do manage an upset against Pep Guardiola’s side and follow it up with a win at Nottingham Forest, they could overtake Liverpool – provided Arne Slot’s side lose to Brentford on the final day.

Even if Bournemouth miss out on fifth, finishing sixth might be enough to secure Champions League football.

That is because if Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth in the Premier League, England will have six teams in the Champions League.

For that to happen, Villa would need to lose at Man City on the final day. A Liverpool victory at Brentford would then move the Reds above them.

Brighton – who face Manchester United – are still in with a chance of qualifying for the Champions League in sixth, while Chelsea retain an outside chance.

Brentford could still finish in sixth but the only way this could happen is by beating Liverpool, which would man Villa remain fourth and the extra Champions League route not being open.

What about Europa and Conference Leagues?

If the Champions League qualification is complex, the race for the Europa League and Conference League berths is even more chaotic.

Teams finishing sixth and seventh are currently guaranteed a place in the Europa League with Brighton, on 53 points, occupying seventh despite the setback at Leeds.

Brentford sit right behind them in eighth in the Conference League spot but will hope a win against Liverpool on the final day will put them in contention for a Europa League spot – which would be their first appearance on the continental stage.

Sunderland, meanwhile, are only one point behind the Bees while Chelsea, Newcastle, Everton, and Fulham are all lurking within three points of eighth – although the latter’s goal difference effectively rules them out.

Chelsea will travel to Sunderland on the final day in what could be a straight shootout for Europe – provided they beat Spurs in their game in hand.

With so many teams separated by such fine margins, the final day offers more twists and turns across the table and a single goal could be the difference between midweek continental action and staying at home.

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What did the managers say – ‘It on but it’s not done’

Brighton‘s Fabian Hurzeler: “We have to go on and prepare for the last game [against Manchester United]. We’ve faced a lot of adversity this season and we will overcome it. We have to stay positive even though it’s a painful loss.

“We have to overcome the disappointment, prepare well and believe we can still do it. We did a lot of things right today.”

Everton‘s David Moyes: “We didn’t look like a European team at times today – that’s for sure. Things didn’t go for us. Players have done an amazing job at times but it wasn’t there today.

“We messed up big time. Opportunity where if we’d won it things would be a lot different. Everton have not had the opportunity to get in the top end of the league table for a while. I’m more disappointed that they have missed that opportunity to keep pushing on. Today showed that we are probably not quite ready.”

Fulham‘s Marco Silva: “It has been an incredible journey and I have to praise [the Fulham fans] every single day. On the pitch we had some very, very good, moments. Myself, I am very ambitious and I want to give more and more for them.

“I wanted to give them a European journey next season, it was not possible and we have to move on. The most important thing is to analyse and be clear with the board what the club really needs to keep moving forward.

“Standing still is not good in the Premier League because at one point you will get a bad surprise, definitely.”

Sunderland‘s Regis le Bris: “It’s on, but it’s not done. The most important thing is to stay focused on our standards. When you start dreaming it can be a disappointment. The opposition [Chelsea] will be strong.

“We have to be at out best, train properly and hope the fans have the power and energy so we can be at our best. The minute it [European football] is on at the end of the [final] game we will have that conversation [on what it means to the club].”