The Premier League race for Europe is as exciting as ever as the final day of the season approaches.
Several clubs are aiming to cap memorable campaigns by sealing their place in continental competition next term, with Bournemouth and Brentford eyeing European football for the first time in their respective histories, and Sunderland looking to qualify just 12 months after winning promotion from the Championship.
It means there are plenty of permutations going into Sunday's Premier League finale - and the number of English teams in Europe in 2026/27 could yet change once the domestic season is over.
How many Premier League teams can qualify for Europe?
The top four teams in the Premier League - Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa - are all guaranteed to finish in the top five, so will all be playing in the Champions League next season.
The Premier League was also awarded a fifth Champions League place through UEFA's European Performance Spots (EPS), which ranks countries based on their teams' results on the continent, so fifth-place Liverpool are also set to qualify for Europe's premier club competition.
However, fifth place is where it starts to get complicated. If Villa finish fifth in the table - which will happen if they lose at City on Sunday and Liverpool beat Brentford at home - but win the Europa League final on Wednesday, their Champions League qualification place will be passed down to the team in sixth and the Premier League would lose a place in the Europa League. You can read more about that here.
As things stand, with Villa fourth in the table, only the top five in the Premier League will qualify for the Champions League, regardless of the outcome of the Europa League final.
This would mean that the teams in sixth and seventh would qualify for the Europa League, while the eighth-place side go into the Conference League.
Bournemouth, who have never played in Europe before, are in pole position and will guarantee sixth place if they beat City in their game in hand tonight, while also giving them the chance to leapfrog Liverpool on the final day.
Brighton & Hove Albion are two points behind the Cherries and currently seventh, while eighth-place Brentford - another team who would be making their European debuts - trail by a further point.
Only the top eight teams will qualify for Europe, but there is a queue of clubs currently ninth and below who could still force their way in.
Sunderland, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Everton and Fulham occupy positions nine to 13 respectively, and they all still have a mathematical chance of finishing in the top eight - especially the Blues, who will go above Brentford on goal difference if they beat Tottenham Hotspur in their game in hand on Tuesday night.
The Premier League could even seal a ninth European spot three days after the last day of the season. If Crystal Palace beat Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final on May 27, the Eagles will earn a place in next season's Europa League.
