Hi all, I kept rooting for the English Premier league last season, predicting that they and Italy will get new 5 Champions League automatic qualifying slots for slated for this season. Alas I was wrong, my team Arsenal, were part of the disappointment, as that loss to Bayern Munich in the knockout stage robbed the EPL of precious points.
Today it's a different story, it's as if the EPL has come back with real vengeance, like someone who has come back to claim his birth right and to claim it with interest too.
Breaking it Down
The EPL dominating Europe this season is amply clear, but what is unclear to a lot of people is how Europa will handle potential multiple qualifications for Europe by one or more Premier league teams.
First off, the Premier League will actually have SIX clubs in next season's Champions League - the top five teams in the league, plus whoever triumphs out of Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on 21st May.
The battle for a top-five spot in the league is like a traffic jam, with only Liverpool and Arsenal guaranteed a top-five finish.
The race to secure the other three remaining places is wide open, with FIVE teams in the mix: Newcastle United, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.
Significantly, Forest host Chelsea on the final day of the season in a HUGE head-to-head.
UEFA Europa League
English football receives two Europa League places.
One is normally awarded to the fifth-placed finisher in the Premier League, but this season it will go to the sixth-placed team because England have received an additional fifth Champions League spot.
The other Europa League place goes to the winners of the FA Cup, Crystal Palace, after they beat Man City 1-0 in the final at Wembley Stadium.
UEFA Conference League
The winners of the EFL Cup qualify for the Conference League.
This season, Newcastle secured a European spot when they triumphed over Liverpool at Wembley.
How can the eighth-placed team get into Europe?
By right, the winner of the Conference League get a place in the Europa League - and Chelsea have reached the Conference League final, facing Real Betis in Wroclaw, Poland on 28 May.
If the Blues win that competition then their final position in the Premier League table would directly influence the eighth-placed team.
There are two ways that the eighth-placed team can get a place in the Conference League, according to ESPN's Dale Johnson:
- Chelsea finish seventh and win the Conference League
Champions League: 1st to 5th, Man Utd or Spurs as Europa League winners
Europa League: 6th, Crystal Palace as FA Cup winners, Chelsea as Conference League winners (7th)
Conference League: 8th
- Chelsea finish sixth and win the Conference League, while Newcastle finish seventh
Champions League: 1st to 5th, Man Utd or Spurs as Europa League winners
Europa League: Newcastle (7th), Crystal Palace as FA Cup winners, Chelsea as Conference League winners (6th)
Conference League: 8th
In either of these scenarios, the Premier League would have 10 teams - HALF of the Premier League - playing in Europe next season.
For the three clubs looking to finish eighth - Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth - there is still all to play for.
This is Real battle internally and it is a declaration of war on Europe next season. It's an English league coming with all vengeance.