- Aston Villa’s hopes of returning to Europe’s elite competition has become slightly easier
- After last night’s results, the Premier League now has five Champions League spots up for grabs
- It is an objective they are desperate to achieve
Arsenal’s stoppage time 1-0 victory over Sporting Lisbon last night confirmed that Premier League have finished inside the top two of UEFA’s coefficient rankings, meaning fifth position can qualify for the Champions League for the 2026/27 season
Which ultimately means for Aston Villa, their chances have now considerably increased.
Currently, the Villans sit in fourth place, five points above Liverpool in fifth and six points ahead of Chelsea in sixth. Now that an additional spot has been awarded, their desired outcome suddenly looks a lot more favourable.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Arsenal | 31 | 21 | 7 | 3 | +39 | 70 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | +32 | 61 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 31 | 15 | 10 | 6 | +13 | 55 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 31 | 16 | 6 | 9 | +5 | 54 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 31 | 14 | 7 | 10 | +8 | 49 |
| 6 | Chelsea | 31 | 13 | 9 | 9 | +15 | 48 |
On paper, they have the easiest run-in towards the end of the season, and after a 2-0 win over West Ham in their previous match, confidence will be rising.
Key players John McGinn and Youri Tielemans have now returned from injury, giving the squad a significant boost for the final stretch. Whilst they were sidelined, Villa only managed to win once out of seven league games.
Villa’s other route to the Champions League
Although they will want to finish in the top five, their hopes of Champions League football next year aren’t solely reliant on the league.
Should Unai Emery’s side progress through the Europa League and lift the trophy in the final, then they will automatically qualify for Europe’s biggest stage, regardless of their position at the end of the season.
This is the second campaign in which there is no longer a cap of five teams per nation in the competition. If Villa were to win the Europa League but finish outside the top five, the Premier League could potentially have six clubs in the Champions League next year.
There is even another scenario where finishing seventh could be enough, provided Villa and Liverpool both win their respective European trophies and finish in the top six.
Clubs like Brentford and Everton will now be cheering both of them on, as their own chances of playing in Europe will increase.
Deciding point in the club’s future
Returning to the Champions League next season is vital for the club’s future. They’re now at a crucial point where if they do not qualify, then it will be detrimental for the following years.
Their difficulties with the financial rules will grow, forcing them to sell key players, and they may begin to stagnate.
If Villa wants to consistently compete at the top of the league, then qualification is a must. It will enable them to grow the quality of the squad and continue their rise.
