The race for Champions League spots in the Premier League: Manchester United holds the advantage, Liverpool and Chelsea are anxious.

The battle for next season's UEFA Champions League berths in the Premier League is fiercely contested as the 2025/26 campaign reaches its climax.

Typically, the top four teams in the English Premier League qualify for the Champions League. However, last season marked the first time the fifth-placed Premier League team also secured a spot in the tournament through its league position. This occurred when English football earned one of the two additional places based on UEFA's coefficient table, which evaluates the overall performance of clubs from each country in European competitions.

If English clubs continue to perform well on the continental stage, the Premier League could once again have five representatives in the Champions League.

Currently, the race among the teams competing for Champions League spots is very tight. Arsenal leads the standings with 70 points after 31 matches. Following them is Manchester City with 61 points after 30 matches. Manchester United is third with 54 points (played 30 matches), then Aston Villa with 51 points. The remaining positions in the competitive group are Liverpool with 49 points and Chelsea with 48 points.

The remaining fixtures could also significantly impact the race's dynamics. Several direct clashes between the leading group's teams will occur in the season's final phase, including Chelsea vs Manchester City on April 12th, Chelsea vs Manchester United on April 18th, Manchester City vs Arsenal on April 19th, Manchester United vs Liverpool on May 2nd, Liverpool vs Chelsea on May 9th, Aston Villa vs Liverpool on May 17th, and Manchester City vs Aston Villa on May 24th. These matches are considered pivotal encounters in the race for next season's Champions League qualification.

Remaining Premier League fixtures for Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Chelsea (H: home, A: away)

Arsenal leads with 70 points, 9 points ahead of Manchester City, but Pep Guardiola's team has played one fewer match. These two clubs are competing in the Premier League title race, so the Champions League qualification battle primarily involves Manchester United, Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Liverpool.

Manchester United has climbed to 3rd place in the standings and currently holds an advantage in the race for Champions League qualification, but the "Red Devils" need to maintain their form from now until the end of the season.

Aston Villa lost 1-3 to Manchester United in their recent match and currently sits in 4th place, yet their chances for Champions League qualification remain very promising.

Chelsea has a quite demanding schedule in the upcoming period and will face challenges in the Top 4 race. Meanwhile, Liverpool is currently outside the Top 4 and needs greater effort in the coming phase to improve their position.

According to Opta's assessment, Arsenal has a 100% chance of securing Champions League qualification, while Manchester City's probability is 99.91%. Manchester United's likelihood of participating in next season's Champions League is 70.7%. Aston Villa's chance is 58.57%. Liverpool has a 34.09% chance of Champions League qualification, and Chelsea's is 23.21%.