Premier League secures fifth Champions League place for 2026-27 season

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The seeding was confirmed after Arsenal defeated Sporting CP on Tuesday night in the quarter-final first leg, with just a draw needed to clinch the place for the Premier League — which has the highest co-efficient in Europe. The top two co-efficient nations at the end of the 2025-26 are guaranteed at least five clubs in European football’s premier competition, with the Premier League now guaranteed to fill one of those slots. Spain’s La Liga is currently second in that list, ahead of Germany’s Bundesliga and the Primeira Liga of Portugal. Arsenal and Liverpool remain in this season’s Champions League, with Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest in the Europa League and Crystal Palace in the Conference League, after all nine of its participants this season reached the last-16 stage of European competition. The Premier League may yet have up to seven clubs in next season’s Champions League, as it did this season, if either Villa — who are currently fourth — or Nottingham Forest win the Europa League, an achievement which separately guarantees Champions League qualification. Meanwhile, if Liverpool do not finish in the league’s top five but win the Champions League, they will reach next season’s tournament. Liverpool (49 points) are currently ranked fifth in the Premier League, ahead of Chelsea (48), Brentford (46), Everton (46), Fulham (44), Brighton (43), Sunderland (43), Newcastle (42) and Bournemouth (42). Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Colin Millar is a Senior Editor for The Athletic. Prior to joining The Athletic, Colin was European Football writer at Mirror Football. From Belfast, he is the author of The Frying Pan of Spain: Sevilla vs Real Betis, Spain’s Hottest Football Rivalry, and he can be found on Twitter/X: @Millar_Colin Follow Colin on Twitter @Millar_Colin