MANCHESTER UNITED could qualify for the Champions League even if they finish SIXTH due to a Uefa rule change.
Erik ten Hag’s side sit 11 points adrift of fifth-place Aston Villa with just seven games remaining having failed to win any of their last three Premier League matches.
England are poised to receive an additional Champions League place as one of two countries with the best Uefa co-efficient – alongside Italy – in a rule change that has come about ahead of the competition’s expansion.
This means fifth place is set to qualify for Europe’s elite competition, but this will likely benefit Tottenham or Villa rather than Man Utd.
However, there is still a slim chance the Red Devils could qualify for the Champions League even if they do not finish in the top five.
That is if West Ham clinch fifth spot AND win the Europa League.
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David Moyes’ side face Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen in the quarter-finals, while they sit 12 points behind Villa in the Premier League.
A West Ham Europa League triumph would free up another Champions League spot for an English club as the additional place only applies to a team’s domestic league finish.
It does not account for the Champions League or Europa League winners.
Theoretically, this means a seventh place finish in the Premier League could land Champions League football if both the winners of the Champions League and Europa League are English clubs that finish outside of the top four in the Premier League.
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This will not be the case this season as Manchester City and Arsenal – England’s two representatives left in the Champions League – are all but guaranteed a top four spot.
But sixth place could secure Champions League football dependent upon how West Ham end their season.
In addition to West Ham finishing fifth and winning the Europa League, Man Utd would also need to leapfrog Villa or Tottenham into sixth if they were to seal Champions League qualification.
All this remains highly unlikely, but it is still possible as we head into the business end of the campaign.
There is also potential for as many as 11 English teams to qualify for Europe, though this would require a clean sweep from Premier League teams in the three European competitions, along with a major shake-up in the Premier League table.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
