The Premier League will send at least five clubs into next season’s Champions League after topping UEFA’s European Performance ranking for the second year in a row.
Liverpool currently hold fifth place, but the race is tight with Chelsea, Brentford, Everton and several others close behind.
Aston Villa or Liverpool winning European trophies could even push qualification down to sixth or seventh.
Spain’s La Liga is set to claim the other extra berth, though Germany’s Bundesliga remains in contention.
The run-in now carries Champions League stakes well beyond the top four.
