In 2012, the then-Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said that finishing in the top four was as good as winning a trophy. The traditional British sports media were up in arms. How could merely finishing near the top of the league be as prestigious as winning the FA Cup or League Cup? But it is now clear that the French head coach’s views were just ahead of their time.
Finishing in the top four of the English Premier League qualifies a team for the next season’s Champions League – and that has now become the holy grail for all English top-tier clubs. Bettors read the best offshore bookmakers reviews to find out which operator has the best Champions League markets and the competition is considered the most important in Europe – if not the world.
There might actually be an extra place in the Champions League for EPL sides next season. It is looking highly likely that the English league will finish top of UEFA’s rankings for performances across the three club competitions – and that means that the top five will book a berth. With so much at stake, who should you be backing to be representing the EPL in the Champions League in 2025-26?
Figure 1 There is no way that Liverpool won’t be playing Champions League football next season – Source: Pixabay
Guaranteed Place
With only just over a month of the EPL season to play, there is one team that can be just about guaranteed to fly the flag for England in the Champions League next season. At the time of writing, Liverpool is actually only assured a place in the Conference League but there is absolutely no way that it will not win the Premier League this season
When Jürgen Klopp announced that he would be leaving Anfield last January, there were many fans who became worried that Liverpool might fall away from the top of the table again – especially with Manchester City looking almost unbeatable. It is fair to say that Arne Slot has done better than anyone might have imagined.
Liverpool is now on course to win the title by a large margin and play in next season’s Champions League. There is no way to even bet on this eventuality now, as it is so expected. Maybe Liverpool will be able to make up for the disappointment of crashing out to PSG in this year’s competition.
Almost There
The race for the other three (or four) places is still very tight but, unless Arsenal start playing as inconsistently as its North London rivals, the Gunners will also be playing in the continent’s most prestigious competition next season. Mikel Arteta has been given the time to put together an incredibly talented squad and it is likely that Arsenal will finish as runners-up to Liverpool.
There are still some questions over the mental ability of this Arsenal squad and there are some fans who are crying out for the club to bring in a guaranteed goal scorer to complete the balance of the team. Whatever happens with Arsenal in the Champions League this season, it will surely have another chance to lift the famous trophy in 2026.
Scramble for Third and Fourth
This has been one of the most exciting and unexpected seasons in Premier League history. For a while, even the biggest fans of the league had gotten bored with the same old teams finishing in the top four positions. But Manchester City’s spectacular fall from grace has opened up the qualifying berths to a whole host of teams far more unfamiliar with playing the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Aston Villa has performed remarkably well in this season’s Champions League tournament and could well finish in the top four again this year. But it is Nottingham Forest that has surprised everyone. The club has European pedigree, of course, being twice winners of the European Cup almost 50 years ago. But, after returning to the English top flight after 23 years of lower-league football, Forest has battled against the drop in the last two years and now suddenly become one of the most difficult-to-beat sides in the division.
Nuno Espirito Santos has drilled his team to perfection, creating a defensively strong unit that counterattacks at breathtaking speed. It is incredible, but it does seem as though one of the top four positions – and a place in next season’s Champions League – will belong to Forest.
Figure 2 Fans of a number of clubs will be hoping their team will finish in the top four – Source: Unsplash
Battle for Fifth
Manchester City has been so poor this season (in relative terms) that even the added chance of an extra Champions League spot will not automatically save the blushes of Pep Guardiola. There are only a few points separating a whole host of clubs in the top half of the table and Chelsea and Newcastle have both looked more consistent than City this year.
Chelsea could well be another surprise Champions League qualifier. With the riches at its disposal, this is a club that should probably guarantee itself a top-four finish – at least – most years. But it has been haphazardly run in the last few years and not everyone would have felt confident backing Chelsea to finish in the top four. Recent results make that punt a little more assured now.
Most EPL fans will expect to see Manchester City still somehow sneak into a qualification place. But with all the teams we have already mentioned looking more likely, the giant of English football in the last few years may well miss out. The fact that there is still an outside chance that Brighton – or even Bournemouth – could finish in the top five instead, just proves how unpredictable the EPL has been this season.