The Premier League is about to enter a decisive week that could secure a coveted fifth spot for next season’s Champions League, but this week’s European results will be crucial for the outcome. This additional place is granted through UEFA’s European Performance System (EPS), which rewards countries whose clubs perform well in European competitions: Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League. For England, which typically has four spots, this would mean a significant increase to five.
Currently, England leads the country coefficient ranking for the 2025-26 season, with Spain in second place and Germany in third. Points are accumulated based on wins (two) and draws (one) across all three competitions, as well as additional points awarded for progress in the knockout stages and bonuses based on teams’ positions in the group stage, with a greater weight for participants in the Champions League. These points are then divided by the total number of clubs each country registered in the European competitions at the start of the season – in England’s case, that number is nine.
However, the path for English teams is far from easy. None of the six representatives in the Champions League managed to win their first-leg matches in the Round of 16. Only Arsenal, which drew, and Liverpool, which suffered a narrow defeat against Galatasaray, seem to be in a more favorable position to advance to the quarter-finals. On the other hand, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Tottenham face a heavy three-goal deficit.
In the Europa League, Nottingham Forest finds itself at a disadvantage against Midtjylland after the first leg, while Aston Villa is well positioned to advance, having won 1-0 away against Lille. The situation for Crystal Palace in the Conference League is uncertain, after being held to a goalless draw at home against AEK Larnaca.
Germany, currently in third place, is 33 points behind England and still has five of its original seven clubs in competition. Bayern Munich is a strong contender to advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, following a convincing victory over Atalanta. However, the other four clubs are not as fortunate, with Stuttgart and Freiburg facing disadvantages in their Europa League matches.
With the upcoming European matches on the horizon, all eyes are on the teams from the Premier League, as their performance in international competitions will be crucial for securing this coveted extra spot. The pressure is mounting, and the fate of the Premier League in the race for another place in the Champions League hinges on what lies ahead.
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