There are just two rounds of Premier League matches remaining as the clubs try and secure their spots in next season’s European competitions.
Monday’s news that the Court of Arbitration for Sport had overturned the two-season ban handed out to Manchester City by Uefa has left their rivals scrambling, knowing that a fifth-place finish will no longer be good enough to secure Champions League football.
City will finish second this season, so they along with champions Liverpool have guaranteed their place in next season’s Champions League.
But who else can qualify, and which teams will be fighting for the Europa League places?
Champions League qualification race
Chelsea, Leicester City and Manchester United are the front runners, with Chelsea (currently in third) needing four points to secure their place, but they face tricky fixtures against Wolves and Liverpool in their remaining two games.
Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester recorded a 2-0 win over Sheffield United on Thursday to stay above Manchester United, and must win their two remaining matches to be sure of qualification.
They face United on the final day - and play away at Tottenham before that - but that meeting with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side is likely to decide their fate.
Manchester United are in the same situation and face West Ham before they meet the Foxes having won at Crystal Palace on Thursday.
Chelsea, Leicester and Manchester United are guarenteed to secure Europa League football at the very least.
Wolves hopes slimmed dramatically after they controversially dropped points against Burnley. They must beat Crystal Palace and Chelsea and hope other results go their way. They can however qualify by winning the Europa League - a route also available to Manchester United.
Tottenham and Sheffield United are now mathematically out of contention for a Champions League spot.
But we could yet face the situation where only the top three qualify. Should two English sides win this season's Champions League and Europa, and finish outside the top four, they will qualify instead.
We could still have a play-off as well!
If Leicester City and Manchester United finish in fourth and fifth, level on points, goal difference and goals scored, then it goes down to head-to-head record (factoring in away goals). United won 1-0 at Old Trafford in September. And if Leicester replicated that result with a win 1-0 on the final day then they would need a play-off to decide who finishes fourth. Imagine that!
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Liverpool (c) | 36 | 30 | 3 | 3 | 48 | 93 |
| 2 | Man City | 36 | 24 | 3 | 9 | 58 | 75 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 36 | 19 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 63 |
| 4 | Leicester City | 36 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 31 | 62 |
| 5 | Man Utd | 36 | 17 | 11 | 8 | 28 | 62 |
| 6 | Wolves | 36 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 56 |
Europa League qualification race
Arsenal kept their hopes of qualifying via the League alive with their shock win over Liverpool, but they remain the outsiders despite final fixtures against Aston Villa and Watford. But they can still book their place in the Europa League by winning the FA Cup.
They are not the only side who can benefit from the FA Cup though. Should the eventual winners finish inside the top six, then seventh place will qualify for the Europa League. Man City, Chelsea and Manchester United are the other four sides left in the competition.
Wolves needed three wins from three to secure their place, but drew at against Burnley on Wednesday. But if seventh place does qualify, then two wins in their final games will be enough.
Tottenham’s win at Newcastle kept them in contention, but they will need to beat Leicester City and Crystal Palace and hope that Wolves drop more points.
Following their defeat to Leicester, Sheffield United need Wovles or Tottenham to drop points if they are to qualify for the Europa League for the first time.
Burnley are the outsiders. Their point against Wolves means they must win their remaining two games and hope A LOT of other results go their way.
At least one of Chelsea, Leicester or Manchester United will be in the Europa League, of course.
| 3 | Chelsea | 36 | 19 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 63 |
| 4 | Leicester City | 36 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 31 | 62 |
| 5 | Man Utd | 36 | 17 | 11 | 8 | 28 | 62 |
| 6 | Wolves | 36 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 56 |
| 7 | Tottenham | 36 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 55 |
| 8 | Sheffield Utd | 36 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 3 | 54 |
| 9 | Arsenal | 36 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 53 |
| 10 | Burnley | 36 | 14 | 8 | 14 | -8 | 51 |
And here’s where it gets (more) complicated…
If Chelsea overturn their 3-0 first leg deficit to Bayern Munich and go on to win the Champions League, and finish outside the top four, then five English sides will compete in Europe’s premier competition, with sixth and seventh entering the Europa League.
With City having already qualified, winning the completion won’t impact the Premier League.
But what about the Europa League? Should Manchester United or Wolves win the Europa League but finish inside the top four then only four sides will compete in the Champions League, but should they finish outside the top four five teams will enter.
And should Chelsea win the Champions League AND Manchester United or Wolves win the Europa League - and neither finish in the top four - then only the top three will qualify for the Champions League.
To complicate things even further, Uefa regulations suggest the Premier League could have eight teams in Europe if that happened and one of them did not finish in the top six or seven - or nine if they both fail to.
There you have it, simple really…
