The impact of Chelsea’s victory over Manchester United on the remainder of the Premier League has been made public, and it may result in an unprecedented situation.
Marc Cucurella, an unlikely hero, scored late in the second half to give Chelsea a possibly season-defining victory over United at Stamford Bridge on Friday night.
The outcome raises the Blues to fourth place in the Premier League standings, greatly increasing their chances of qualifying for the Champions League the following year.
Enzo Maresca’s team will now be guaranteed a place in the top five with a victory on the last day of the season against Nottingham Forest, a team also vying for a spot in the top European competition.
Chelsea might still qualify for the Champions League if they lose against the Midlands club, but they would need to hope that Forest loses to West Ham United on Sunday and Manchester City loses both of their remaining games this season.
However, the outcome at Stamford Bridge affects more than just Chelsea’s season because it has now been made clear what the victory means for the remainder of the Premier League, opening the door for an unprecedented and startling situation.
How many Premier League teams will compete in the Champions League the following season?
The fact that England will have at least five teams in the Champions League the next season was verified earlier in the season.
The Premier League was given one of two European Performance Spots (EPS) for the upcoming season when Arsenal defeated Real Madrid in the competition’s quarterfinals.
With Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle, Chelsea, and Aston Villa now holding the Champions League positions, the competition for the top four has thus shifted to a top five.
But with United and Tottenham Hotspur playing in the Europa League final, England will have six teams in the Champions League the next season, which has never happened before.
Despite both teams having their worst domestic seasons in recent memory, the winner of Wednesday’s game at the San Mames stadium in Bilbao will be among the top five in the Premier League’s European premier division the following season.
Manchester City, the Premier League’s sixth-place finisher, will advance to the Europa League.
However, since the champions will also receive a spot in the Europa League, Pep Guardiola’s FA Cup final matchup with Crystal Palace could potentially affect England’s presence in Europe the following season.
According to ESPN, if Palace wins, they will take the position; but, if City wins, the position will go to the seventh-place team, which is now Nottingham Forest.
Newcastle’s victory over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup earned them a spot in the Conference League, but if they and City place in the top seven, the eighth-place team—currently Brentford—will get to participate in Europe’s third club event the following season.
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