Finishing in the top four of the Premier League is meant to guarantee you a place in the following season’s Champions League and all the riches that come with it.
However, there is a possible scenario that would see the team that finishes fourth this season miss out on qualification for Europe’s top club competition.
If Manchester City win the Champions League and Liverpool win the Europa League, but both finish outside the top four, the fourth-placed side will be denied their spot among Europe’s elite next term.
Under UEFA rules, each association member is allowed a maximum of five participants competing in the Champions League in any given season.
The winners of the tournament are automatically guaranteed a place in the group stage of the following edition and, since 2014-15, the Europa League winners also qualify for the next season’s Champions League.
That means if City and Liverpool win their European competitions there will only be three places available to Premier League clubs to qualify through the domestic championship.
Manchester City are playing PSG in the Champions League quarter-final with the opening leg at the Parc de Princes on Wednesday night while Liverpool have to overcome Borussia Dortmund at the same stage of the Europa League.
In the unlikely event that City and Liverpool both win the tournaments and Manuel Pellegrini’s side drop out of the top four, the team that finishes fourth would have to settle for a place in the Europa League.
Manchester United and West Ham are currently fifth and sixth respectively and are the two clubs with the most realistic shot at finishing fourth.
It was only recently that UEFA increased the maximum number of teams each association can enter into the Champions League from four to five.
Tottenham finished fourth in the 2011-12 season but were denied their place in the Champions League after Chelsea – who finished sixth that year – won the competition, beating Bayern Munich on penalties.
There are also implications for next season’s Europa League qualification. Currently, Europa League places will go to fifth and sixth place and the winners of the FA Cup.
If West Ham or Manchester United go on to win the FA Cup and finish in the top six, and Liverpool win the Europa League and finish seventh that will extend Europa League qualification to eighth place.
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