The Premier League could have six teams in the Champions League next season and 10 in Europe after a potentially pivotal weekend.
Manchester United have qualified for the Champions League qualification with a 3-2 win over Liverpool. Meanwhile, defeats for Arne Slot's side and Aston Villa over the weekend mean they still have work to do to to qualify for the top five.
However, should Villa finish fifth, but also win the Europa League, the fifth-placed spot - an extra position earned because of English teams' recent performances in Europe - would pass down to the team in sixth, currently Bournemouth on 52 points.
But the Cherries are only one point ahead of seventh-placed Brentford and five ahead of 12th-placed Sunderland. So the race for Europe is really on with three weeks to go in the season,.
As things stand now, the Premier League is guaranteed five teams in Europe's premier club competition next season, meaning there will be at least eight sides competing in Europe, with the two Europa League qualifying places [team finishing sixth & FA Cup winners] and a single Conference League space [team finishing seventh].
More generally, that number could even rise to as many as 10. This is how:
Yes, there are a few ways this could happen, although some are more likely than others.
The most likely is entry via winning the Europa League, with Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest meeting in the semi-finals, meaning one English side will be in the final.
If it is Villa who win the competition, but also finish in the top four, nothing changes and the Champions League spot reserved for winning the Europa League would pass down to the team in qualifying with the best UEFA coefficient, which would be Club Brugge as things stand.
However, were Unai Emery's side to triumph in Istanbul on May 20 but finish outside the top four, then the Premier League would get six teams in next season's Champions League, although Villa's final position in the table would then determine who took the extra place.
For example, were Villa to finish in fifth, then the sixth-placed team would be in Europe's premier club competition, although the Premier League would then give up a place in next season's Europa League.
However, in total, England would still have eight European spots next season: six via the Champions League and one each in the Europa League [the FA Cup winners] and the Conference League [finishing in seventh].
Things are a lot less complicated, though, if Forest cause an upset by winning Europe's second-tier competition as they would simply be the Premier League's sixth Champions League representative next season, as happened with Tottenham Hotspur in the last campaign.
Remember the side that wins the Conference League goes straight into next season's Europa League.
Crystal Palace - who face Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-finals - are favourites to lift that trophy in Leipzig on May 27 and with Oliver Glasner's side 13th in the table and unlikely to qualify for Europe via their league position, they would compete in next season's Europa League.
As a result, that would mean nine Premier League teams in Europe next season: five via the Champions League and three in the Europa League [FA Cup & Conference League winners and team finishing sixth] and one in the Conference League [team finishing seventh].
That scenario would need Palace to win the Europa Conference League, Forest or Villa to win the Europa League - and if it is Villa, they would need to finish outside of the top six in the Premier League as well.
In that event, the Premier League would have six sides in the Champions League [the top five and the Europa League winners], three in the Europa League [team finishing sixth, the FA Cup & Conference League winners] and one in the Conference League [team finishing seventh].
Yes, although not the number of teams taking part in Europe, just who competes in what competition.
For example, were Manchester City to win an eighth FA Cup at Wembley on May 16, sixth and seventh places in the Premier League will qualify for the Europa League, with eighth going into the Conference League.
However, if Chelsea win the cup, the west London club would need to finish inside the top seven for the Conference League spot to transfer to eighth.
