How Chelsea or Tottenham could miss out on Champions League even if they finish in top four

Tom Dutton1 May 2018

The race to secure a Champions League berth is reaching its climax as Chelsea attempt to string together a run of wins and snatch a top-four spot in the Premier League.

The Blues, who sit fifth, have won three league games on the spin to close the gap on their rivals and know victory against Liverpool on Sunday will catapult them back into contention with two games to play.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are fourth and can jump above Liverpool if they win their two games in hand over the Merseyside club.

But a place in Europe's leading club competition will not be assured even if both sides clamber above the Champions League semi-finalists and finish inside the Premier League top four.

How things stand...

EPL Table | Premier League 2017-18 season standings

Pos Team P W D L GD Pts
1 Man City (C) 35 30 3 2 76 93
2 Man United 35 24 5 6 40 77
3 Liverpool 36 20 12 4 43 72
4 Tottenham 34 20 8 6 35 68
5 Chelsea 35 20 6 9 26 66
6 Arsenal 35 17 6 12 19 57

With both Jurgen Klopp's men and Arsenal still in the hunt for European silverware, there remains a scenario which would see the Premier League's fourth-placed club denied a spot in the Champions League.

If Liverpool win the European Cup, while Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid in Thursday's semi-final second leg and win the title in Lyon, both will then book a spot in next season's Champions League regardless of their league position.

Should Chelsea and Tottenham join both Manchester clubs in the top four, it would mean six English clubs progress to next season's Champions League. Right? Wrong! A Uefa stipulation dictates that no more than five clubs from the same association can play in the Champions League, so the club finishing fourth would drop into the Europa League.

Such a haunting prospect will send a shiver down the spine of Tottenham fans after their club finished fourth in 2011/12 and missed out on a Champions League spot after Chelsea's European triumph in Munich.

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