Premier League, WSL, EFL, Scottish football: Ups, downs and European qualification

The top five teams are guaranteed qualification for the league stage of the Champions League, with four regular places bolstered by England. one of the two associations with the highest coefficient for 2025-2026 to earn one of the European Performance Places (EPS), as confirmed on April 7.

Arsenal and Manchester City cannot finish lower than fifth, so they confirmed their Champions League places. Must Arsenal win this season’s Champions League, which will not earn an extra Champions League spot for English teams.

However, a place in the league stage of the Champions League is reserved for the Europa League winners – which could be Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest.

Should Villa win the Europa League and finish fourth, nothing will change. If they win it and finish fifth, they will enter the Champions League, just like the team placed sixth via the EPS – but England would forfeit a Europa League place. If Villa win the Europa League and finish sixth, the Conference League place is forfeited.

Usually, the Premier League team in sixth place will qualify for the league stage of the Europa League, along with the FA Cup winners. If the FA Cup winners have already qualified for the Champions League, that European place reverts to the league.

Because Manchester City have qualified for the Champions League, earning their Conference League play-off spot as Carabao Cup Final Winners return to the league.

As Crystal Palace win the Conference League, they will qualify for the league stage of the Europa League.

The bottom three teams will be relegated to the Championship. Wolverhampton Wanderers‘ relegation was confirmed on 20 April to West Ham’s 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace, while Burnley went down on April 22 after that lost 1-0 against Manchester City.