Key Takeaways
- Liverpool, Manchester United and Aston Villa now look safe in the top-five after late weekend wins.
- Only three points split sixth-placed Chelsea from 12th as the Europa League battle reaches record tightness.
- Ninth could still earn a European place if English clubs win cups and tournaments elsewhere.
The fight for next season’s Champions League is almost done after dramatic stoppage-time goals on Sunday.
Liverpool struck in the 100th minute against Everton, Aston Villa scored in the 93rd versus Sunderland, and Manchester United’s Saturday victory leaves the trio ten points clear of the chasing pack. With five matches left they need six more points each to be sure of joining Arsenal and Manchester City in Europe’s elite group.
Below them, chaos reigns. Chelsea, Brentford and Bournemouth all sit on 48 points, while Brighton and Everton are one behind on 47. Sunderland have 46, Fulham 45, and even Crystal Palace and Newcastle on 42 can still dream of a top-eight finish. Never before in the 34-year history of the Premier League has the gap between sixth and 12th been so small at this stage of the campaign.
The sixth-place team books a spot in the Europa League, and seventh enters the Europa Conference League. Yet the final picture depends on the FA Cup. Chelsea, Manchester City, Leeds and Southampton are the last four. If City win the cup, their Europa place slides down the table, meaning eighth could also qualify. If an English club lifts a European trophy this term, another Conference League berth may open, pushing qualification as low as ninth.
With Leeds still only three points above the drop zone, the bottom of the table is equally tense. In short, every club from first to 15th still has a prize or a problem to play for with only 15 points left on offer.