How Chelsea can now secure Europa League qualification after Palace thrash Man Utd

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07/05/2024 08:00

Chelsea would have been watching on with great interest last night as Crystal Palace did them a big favour by thrashing Manchester United 4-0 in the Premier League.

This has now put The Blues in a good position to be able to qualify for The Europa League this season, an achievement that could well keep manager Mauricio Pochettino in his job as head coach at Stamford Bridge.

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The Premier League table now looks a bit better for Chelsea, who are above United in 7th place on goal difference after last night's result.

Football London report Italy and Germany have claimed the additional Champions League qualifying places, so only the top four in the Premier League will go into next season's revised competition. Aston Villa only need three more points from their last two games to join Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Only Tottenham Hotspur can rival Unai Emery's side for a place in the top four. Fifth place will qualify for next season's Europa League, with the team going straight into the new setup rather than playing any additional pre-qualifiers.

While Chelsea trail Spurs in fifth by six points with only a few games to spare, fifth place remains possible. However, the Blues would have to rely on Newcastle, Manchester United AND Tottenham to drop points – which is unlikely.

While Chelsea aren't, of course, in the FA Cup final, the competition still throws the club a lifeline of some sort. The winners of the FA Cup will claim a place in the Europa League. If the winners finish in the top five of the Premier League – and therefore qualify for the Champions League or Europa League through their league position – the Europa League spot will be passed down to the next-highest ranked English top-flight outfit not competing in Europe.

If Manchester United don't finish in the top five but win the FA Cup then they qualify for the Europa League, with sixth place claiming the Europa Conference League.

But, if Manchester City win the FA Cup then Europa League qualification will be awarded to team ranked fifth and sixth, while seventh place claims Europa Conference League. So, Chelsea can finish seventh and still secure European football on the basis that Pep Guardiola's side defeat the Red Devils at Wembley.