How Liverpool could finish sixth and still secure Champions League place next season
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Liverpool.com or go back to LFC Live.
Liverpool FC NewsFeaturesChampions LeagueThe Reds are hoping to earn a top-five finish in the Premier League and a place in the Champions League next season, but an alternative route is available if Liverpool misses outLiverpool could earn a place in the place in the Champions League next season and still finish sixth(Image: Getty Images)Liverpool’s place in the Champions League looks increasingly under threat following the Reds’ last slip-up in the Premier League.Arne Slot’s side was beaten 2-1 by Brighton on Saturday, meaning it has claimed just one point from the last three games. If it weren’t for the underwhelming form of the Reds’ rivals, those places would be all but sewn up.Chelsea has won one of its last six and the 3-0 loss to Everton this weekend has also ramped up the pressure on Liam Rosenior.
The Blues sit one point and one place behind fifth-place Liverpool, while Aston Villa, in fourth, holds a five-point lead over the Reds, and Manchester United is six clear.READ MORE: 13 Liverpool players on international duty and what is at stake as game canceledREAD MORE: Italy coach gives Federico Chiesa update as Liverpool problem clear — 'It's useless'But the battle beneath those sides has also intensified, with Everton and Brentford now three points behind Liverpool.As per UEFA rules, there is a scenario in which seven sides could qualify for next season’s Champions League. For that to occur, Liverpool and Villa would need to win the Champions League and Europa League, respectively, this term, and finish fifth and sixth.Both would automatically secure a place in the Champions League next season, meaning the additional spot in the league would drop to seventh.Liverpool could qualify for the Champions League by finishing sixth and winning the tournament this season(Image: Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)The Premier League is expected to secure the European Performance Spot (EPS), meaning it will be one of two leagues granted a fifth-place spot in Europe’s premier competition.That is based on the results of clubs in this season’s European competitions.Uefa’s website states: “If a club allocated a European Performance Spot (EPS) also qualifies for the UEFA Champions League qualifying phase or play-offs, its place in the qualifying phase or play-offs is allocated to the club that finishes the same association’s domestic championship in the highest position of all those that qualify for the league path of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League or UEFA Conference League.Everton has an outside chance of finishing in the Champions League places(Image: Getty Images)“If a club allocated an EPS also qualifies for the UEFA Europa League, its place in the UEFA Europa League is allocated to the club that finishes the same association’s domestic championship in the highest position of all those that qualify for the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Conference League.”That means seventh place could still qualify for the Champions League, a fate Everton and Brentford will surely hope for, even if it means the Toffees seeing their great rivals win a seventh Champions League/European Cup.Liverpool’s fate also very much remains in its own hands as it faces United, Villa, Chelsea, Everton and Brentford in the final seven matches of the season.Choose Liverpool.com as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Liverpool FCChampions League