The Premier League will have nine representatives in European competition next season after the Premier League’s last round of fixtures confirmed the final placings in the table.
League champions Liverpool and runners-up Arsenal had already booked their spots in the European top flight but five teams competed for the three remaining spots in a thrilling finale to the domestic season.
The race for the European places came down to a battle between Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest to see who would join Arne Slot’s Reds, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners and Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs in the Champions League.
Tottenham’s triumph over Manchester United in the Europa League final meant their place had already been booked for the 2025/26 season while Crystal Palace’s FA Cup triumph against Man City sealed a Europa League spot for them and Newcastle’s Carabao Cup win meant they were guaranteed at least have a Conference League place.
Here’s how the Premier League teams qualified for next season’s European competitions:
The top five teams in the Premier League qualify for next season’s Champions League due to the league’s performances in all of Uefa’s competitions this season, and a guaranteed top-two spot in Uefa’s association club coefficient rankings, unlocking a "European Performance Spot" (EPS).
The Premier League will now have SIX clubs in next season's Champions League – five from the top five clubs in the Premier League, plus Tottenham, who won the 2024/25 Europa League.
Liverpool won the title and Arsenal’s runners-up berth mean they were both through ahead of the weekend’s final fixture. Manchester City joined them with a 2-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage while Chelsea’s 1-0 victory at the City Ground kept Nottingham Forest at bay.
The most drama revolved around Newcastle and Aston Villa who switched places over the course of the final afternoon. Ultimately, Newcastle’s defeat to Everton at St. James’ Park meant nothing as Villa lost 2-0 to Manchester United meaning they missed out on goal difference.
Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham will all play in the Champions League next season.
English football also has two Europa League places.
One usually goes to the fifth-placed finisher in the Premier League but this now becomes the sixth-placed team after England was handed an additional fifth Champions League spot, as detailed above.
Aston Villa, with an inferior goal difference of +7 compared to Newcastle’s +21, means they finish sixth despite sharing the same number of points (66) as Eddie Howe’s Magpies. Unai Emery’s men head into the Europa League instead of the Champions League next season.
The other Europa League place goes to the winners of the FA Cup: Crystal Palace. Given the Eagles could not finish inside the European places through the Premier League standings, only sixth in the table secured entry to the Europa League.
The winners of the EFL Cup also qualify for the Conference League with that being Newcastle United.
After ending a 56-year wait for a trophy, Eddie Howe’s side were sure of a place in Europe, but qualification for the Champions League meant an extra space was unlocked in the Conference League through the league standings.
That went to the club who finished seventh: Nottingham Forest.
For most of the season is seemed as though Nuno Espirito Santo’s side had a Champions League place on lock but a poor end to the campaign, including a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the final fixture, means they must settle for a Conference League spot instead.
English teams competing in Europe next season
Champions League
Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur
Europa League
Aston Villa, Crystal Palace
Conference League
Nottingham Forest