BREAKING: See why Arsenal trashing Real Madrid is a good news for Chelsea
The Premier League will be guaranteed at least five teams in the 2025-26 Champions League edition following Arsenal’s stunning 3-0 win over Real Madrid.
Two stunning free-kicks from Declan Rice and another sensational finish from Mikel Merino ensured the Gunners secured a convincing quarter-final first leg victory last night.
The English top flight needed just one win from its clubs in any of the three European competitions to secure one of two extra berths – on top of the four granted to the top four in the table – awarded to the highest-ranked countries in the UEFA coefficient ranking.
In this system, teams earn two points for a win and one for a draw, adding up all the points obtained by each club and dividing by the number of clubs from that league participating in Europe.
Italy lead the race for the second additional place, with Spain and Germany trailing behind.
Who will finish in the Premier League Top Five?
Premier League leaders Liverpool and second-placed Arsenal look set to claim two of the five available berths, while Nottingham Forest look relatively secure in third with seven games of their campaign remaining.
Chelsea, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Brighton, and 10th-place Bournemouth remain within eight points of each other.
Eddie Howe’s Carabao Cup winners have a game in-hand over their rivals, but face a daunting run-in during which they are due to play most of their rivals for a top five place.