How 7th in Premier League table can qualify for Champions League as UEFA confirm rule

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UEFA have confirmed that the team which finishes seventh in the Premier League could still qualify for the Champions League . There are currently several teams battling to try and finish in the top four, which would guarantee a spot in the competition for next season.

Arsenal and Manchester City are extremely likely to qualify for the competition, but there are at least two, potentially three, more spots up for grabs.

England are in line to receive an extra qualification spot for the Champions League through the European Performance Spots handed out by UEFA, depending on each country’s respective coefficient.

This means that fifth place could also be enough to qualify for the Champions League, with Newcastle United finishing in fifth last season.

However, the situation could become complicated if some Premier League teams were to enjoy success this campaign.

With Liverpool in the quarter-final of the Champions League and Aston Villa in the quarter-final of the Europa League , it’s possible that the team that finishes seventh in the Premier League could earn the extra EPS handed out by UEFA.

Liverpool winning the Champions League and Villa winning the Europa League with both clubs finish in fifth and sixth in the Premier League respectively, England would see the EPS go to the team that finishes seventh in the Premier League.

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Newcastle, Brentford, Brighton , Everton , Bournemouth and Fulham are some of the clubs who could have ambitions of finishing seventh in the Premier League this season and may benefit from the rule.

"If Liverpool win the UEFA Champions League and finish 5th and Aston Villa win the UEFA Europa League and finish 6th, the EPS would be awarded to the seventh-ranked club in the EPL, in accordance with Article 3.08 and 3.09 of the competition regulations,” UEFA confirmed to The Shields Gazette .

Newcastle, in 11th place at present and three points off seventh, were knocked out of the Champions League in midweek after their defeat to Barcelona , with manager Eddie Howe outlining the club’s ambitions to remain a participant in the competition.

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"Of course, this is where we want to be,” Howe said after the defeat at the Camp Nou.

"As much as today is a harsh scoreline on us and a painful experience, to see the players play as well as they did in the first half and execute 90% of what we wanted was a great feeling, a great sight. I don't think that all should be forgotten with the scoreline, as difficult as that is for everyone to see."

He added: "Our defending was not on a level that it was just a few days ago at Chelsea . It started with the first goal when two players slip and then we concede a set-play.

"Then probably the big moment is the penalty, so as well as we played in the first half, when I thought we were outstanding in many aspects - it was really a great representation of how we want to play - there were too many individual errors within the performance to carry that great performance through.

"Really, if we had defended anywhere near the level we can, I think we would have been leading at half-time."