Arsenal’s emphatic 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final has officially secured a fifth Champions League spot for the Premier League next season.
Thanks to England topping UEFA’s coefficient rankings — a position that can no longer be overtaken — the league is entitled to an extra place in Europe’s top competition. Under UEFA rules, the two nations with the highest coefficient points at the end of the season are awarded an additional spot.
Only one Premier League club needed to win their quarter-final tie in Europe to seal the deal, and Arsenal’s stunning performance against the reigning European champions delivered exactly that.
Now, at least five English clubs will compete in next season’s Champions League. But it doesn’t stop there — up to seven Premier League teams could still qualify.
The previous cap of five teams per league has been scrapped. That means if an English club wins the Champions League or Europa League and finishes outside the top five domestically, they’ll still secure qualification — potentially increasing England’s representation to seven.
