Bournemouth sit sixth in the Premier League on 52 points as the race for the extra Champions League places tightens, with Brentford and Brighton one point behind and Chelsea four adrift, according to BBC Sport. [1]
England has a fifth Champions League place through the European Performance Spot, and a sixth Premier League team could also qualify if Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth in the league, both reports said. [1, 2] If Villa finish fourth and win the Europa League, the EPS place would not drop to sixth, they added. [1, 2]
Liverpool are fourth on 58 points from 35 games and are six points clear of Bournemouth, Al Jazeera reported. It said Liverpool need at least one point to secure Champions League qualification if Bournemouth lose or draw their next game, but would need four more points if Bournemouth win. [2]
Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Liverpool on Sunday secured United’s return to the Champions League after a two-year absence, Al Jazeera said. [2]
BBC Sport said Fulham are level on points with Chelsea, while Everton and Sunderland are on 47 points and still have a mathematical chance. It also said Bournemouth and Brentford have never played in European competition, while Brighton’s only UEFA campaign was the 2023-24 Europa League. [1]
Aston Villa are due to host the second leg of their Europa League semifinal against Nottingham Forest on Thursday, with Liverpool set to play Chelsea on May 9. [1, 2]
