Aston Villa Europa Cup Champions
Aston Villa broke an over four decades jinx of no trophy on Wednesday to win the Europa League triumphing 3-0 over Germany’s Freiburg.
Beyond the victory, this could see six English Premier League, EPL, clubs qualify for the Champions League next season with Bournemouth and Brighton in the running for the sixth spot.
Villa is currently in fourth place domestically, with the top five finishers assured of Champions League football following the exploits of Arsenal who qualified for the finals of the Champions league without losing a match.
All of the final-round Premier League fixtures kick off simultaneously at 4pm on Sunday 24 May. A heavily boosted Villa visit Manchester City, who having missed out on the EPL title to Arsenal may feel little motivation to give more. Should Villa win at City, they would seal fourth spot.
Liverpool host Brentford knowing they must win to have a hope of finishing fourth. That would require an Aston Villa defeat though to stay at 4th position.
There is still a scenario in which Bournemouth finish fifth, though it would require a significant goal difference swing if they beat Nottingham Forest and Liverpool lose. But if Manchester City beat Villa and Liverpool take care of business against Brentford, even a point would to secure Bournemouth sixth spot and a place in the Champions League. This is the scenario under which the EPL will secure six spots in next season’s Champion League.
Unai Emery, the Europa Cup specialist wheeled Aston Villa to their first European trophy since 1982 with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Freiburg in Istanbul, sealing their spot in the Champions League next season.
Every season, the top four clubs in the Premier League table are guaranteed a spot in the Champions League, but like last year, England have earned an additional 5th place courtesy of Arsenal.
Having earned qualification with their Europa League win, if Villa go ahead to finish fifth then the additional place in the Champions League awarded by will drop down to the team that finishes sixth in the Premier League.
That team could be Bournemouth.
