In addition to the Premier League title, English sides also compete for qualification for the three European competitions - Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
Qualification for these European competitions is not just a matter of prestige for teams but also provided them with financial incentives going into a brand-new season.
Here is how qualification for European competitions happen in Premier League
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Manchester United players celebrate with the trophy after winning the 2008 Champions League. | Photo Credit: ALASTAIR GRANT/AP
In normal circumstances, the top four teams in the Premier League qualify for the UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage.
Should a Premier League club win the UCL it will automatically qualify for the group stage of next season’s competition irrespective of its league finishing position.
Similarly, if a Premier League club wins the UEFA Europa League (UEL) it will automatically qualify for the group stage of next season’s UCL regardless of its league finishing position.
If a club win UCL or UEL and finish in the top four, its qualification for the UCL through their league position is not transferred to another team.
What need to noted here is that only a maximum of five Premier League teams are eligible for UCL qualification.
In the event that a Premier League club wins the UCL and another wins the UEL and neither of these clubs finishes in the top four of the Premier League, the club lying fourth in the table will drop into the UEFA Europa League group stage.
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE
Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea lifts the Europa League Trophy in 2019. | Photo Credit: MICHAEL REGAN/Getty Images
Normally, two UEL places are given to English club. One to the team which finishes fifth in the league and one to The winners of the FA Cup, with both teams going directly into the group stage.
If the FA Cup winner finishes in the top five of the Premier League, its UEL group stage place will go to the next-highest-ranked team which hasn’t qualified for UEFA competitions.
The winner of UECL is guaranteed a place in the UEL group stages. If a Premier League club wins the UECL and does not qualify for the UEL via the Premier League or the FA Cup, then it enters the UEL group stages as an additional club.
UEFA EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE
The EFL Cup winners qualify for the playoff stages of the Conference League.
If the EFL Cup winners finish in the top five of the Premier League its UECL playoff place will go to the next-highest ranked team not qualified for UEFA competitions.
Current Qualification Scenario
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal will go head to head for the Premier League title. | Photo Credit: Action Images via Reuters
Manchester City and Arsenal have assured themselves a spot in the UCL. Manchester United, Newcastle, Liverpool and Brighton are the top contenders for the other two spots in the Europe’s premier club competition.
Tottenham and Aston Villa are also in the hunt for a fifth-place finish, which puts them in contention for a UEL spot.
With City and United going head-to-head for the FA Cup, the sixth-placed team will qualify for UEL.
United has already clinched the League Cup, meaning another slot opens up, possibly for the team which finishes seventh in the league, for the UECL.
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