3 Points, 3 Places: How Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle, Villa, Forest Can Seal UCL Spot On Dramatic PL Final Day

May 26,2025
Blogs

5 teams are seperated with three points with three spots up for grabs

Photo : AP
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
  • The Premier League season will end tonight
  • The race for Champions LEague football is wide open
  • Five teams are in contention to join Liverpool, Arsenal, and Tottenham
The 2024-25 Premier League season will come to an end on Sunday (May 25) with 10 matches played at the same with all 20 teams in action at the same time. Despite Liverpool sealing the title almost a month back, the 38th gameweek is set to be a dramatic one with the race for European football still wide open.
While champions Liverpool and second-place Arsenal have secured UEFA Champions League (UCL) football, the five teams after them are separated by just three points, leaving no team with room for error in their league match of the season.
It is worth noting that this time around, the top five instead of the top four will get to play the UCL due to the Premier League earning an extra spot due to their coefficient. For those unversed as per the new format of Europe's premier competition, which saw the tournament expand to a 36-team competition from 32 earlier, teams from the country with the best two coefficients in the UEFA ranking earn an extra spot.
The sixth-place team will play in the Europa while the seventh will be in the Conference League. Due to 12th-place Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup, they secured Europa League football, which meant that the 8th-place team in the table will not get any form of European football. Meawhile, Tottenham, who will finish either 16th or 17th will also play in the Champions League after winning the Europa League.

Premier League Table Before Gameweek 38

courtesy - PremierLeague.com

Premier League Fixtures Gameweek 38 For European Spot Contenders

Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea - Forest Ground
Fulham vs Manchester City - Craven Cottage
Manchester United vs Aston Villa - Old Trafford
Newcastle vs Everton - St. James Park

How Each Team Can Qualify For UEFA Champions League 2025-26

Manchester City
If Win - Qualify
If Draw - Qualify
If Lose - Qualify If Either Newcastle, Villa, or Chelsea Lose. Will Not Qualify If All 3 Win
Chelsea
If Win - Qualify
If Draw - Qualify If Newcastle Lose Or Aston Villa Lose Or Draw
If Lose - Will Not Qualify
Newcastle
If Win - Qualify
If Draw - Qualify If Chelsea vs Nottingham Ends In Draw Or Aston Villa Lose Or Draw
If Lose - Qualify If Aston Villa Lose
Aston Villa
If Win - Qualify If Newcastle Lose Or Chelsea/Nottingham Ends In Draw
If Draw - Qualify If Newcastle Lose
If Lose - Will Not Qualify
Nottingham Forest
If Win - Qualify If Newcastle Lose Or Aston Villa Lose Or Draw
If Draw - Will Not Qualify
If Lose - Will Not Qualify
Who Will Play the Conference League And the Europa League?
As things stand, Aston Villa will play the Europa League and Nottingham Forest will be in the Conference League.
If Nottingam Forest beat Chelsea and both Newcastle and Aston Villa win, Forest will play Europa League and Chelsea will play Confernence League. Chelsea will get Europa League football with a draw if both Newcastle and Aston Villa register wins.
Manchester City cannot fall below the Europa League qualification places even if they lose and not play Conference League football
Forest can play Europa League football if they draw against Chelsea and Villa lose or draw to Manchester United.
Newcastle will slip to Europa if they lose or draw, and both Chelsea/Aston Villa secure wins. Newcastle cannot slip to a Conference League place in any scenario.