How 6th Place in the Premier League Could Still Secure Champions League Qualification
- Manchester City secure a 2-1 win over Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium, with goals from Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland
- Sixth place could still qualify for the UEFA Champions League if Aston Villa win the UEFA Europa League and finish fifth
- The race for sixth is extremely tight, with just six points separating Chelsea in sixth from Newcastle United in 14th
The Premier League reaches its most intense stage as Arsenal battle Manchester City for the title this season.
The two sides crossed swords at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, April 19, 2026, with City securing a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland.
Source: Getty Images
While the title race becomes a fierce battle between Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola, the fight for qualification to next season’s UEFA Champions League is also heating up, with Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion among the teams pushing for a place.
It is recently confirmed that five English teams will qualify for next season’s Champions League through their final Premier League position in 2025/26.
However, the sixth-placed side could also secure a spot in Europe’s elite competition.
This possibility raises the stakes ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion’s clash with Chelsea on Tuesday, as Brighton would leapfrog Chelsea into sixth place with a victory in their head-to-head encounter.
How 6th place could qualify for the UCL
For this to happen, the Premier League reports that Aston Villa must win the UEFA Europa League and finish fifth in the Premier League.
Fifth place earns a European Performance Spot (EPS) in the Champions League as a reward for English clubs’ collective success in Europe this season.
Villa currently sit in fourth place and reach the Europa League semi-finals, where they face fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest.
If Villa finish fifth and have already qualified for the Champions League by winning the Europa League, the EPS passes down to the team finishing sixth in the Premier League.
However, this scenario means the Premier League would lose one of its Europa League qualification spots via league position, with that place instead allocated to another country.
Source: Getty Images
The race for sixth place is shaping up to be extremely tight, with only six points separating Chelsea in sixth from Newcastle United in 14th.
Historically, this gap is remarkably small. On April 21, it has only been tighter once in Premier League history—during the 1992/93 season, when just five points separated the teams in those positions.
Meanwhile, the gap between fifth and sixth is slightly larger, with Liverpool now sitting seven points ahead of Chelsea.
How Premier League title tie-breakers work
YEN.com.gh previously explained that Arsenal and Man City are locked in a tight Premier League title race, separated only by a few points and goal difference.
If both sides finish level across key metrics, the title could come down to goals scored or head-to-head results, where City currently hold the slight advantage.
Source: YEN.com.gh
