Chelsea’s draw with Liverpool means they need a huge favour from other clubs if they want to qualify for the Champions League next season
13:26, 10 May 2026Updated 13:34, 10 May 2026
Chelsea know they need a huge favour if they want to qualify for the Champions League next season.(Image: 2026 Chelsea FC)
Chelsea’s draw with Liverpool means they can no longer finish in the top five of the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League. However, there is still one avenue open to them, but it’s a big ask for the Blues.
Chelsea have gone from looking guaranteed of a place in Europe’s elite competition to needing a favour from their top-flight rivals to qualify.
The Blues have not won in the Premier League since March 4, when they beat Aston Villa 4-1 at Villa Park. Since then, they’ve gone seven games without a win, losing six in a row before their draw against Liverpool at Anfield.
That point ended the losing streak, but it wasn’t enough to keep their slim hopes alive of finishing in the top-five places in the Premier League.
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With that in mind, football.london has taken a look at how Chelsea can still qualify for the competition:
How can Chelsea still qualify for the Champions League?
Chelsea can no longer finish in the top five after the draw with Liverpool, but they can still qualify for Europe’s elite competition. A sixth-place finish could still open the door to Champions League football.
For that scenario to materialise, Aston Villa would need to clinch the Europa League title while also finishing fifth in the Premier League.
If Unai Emery’s side lifts the trophy, they would secure a Champions League berth through that achievement alone, meaning the European Performance Spot (EPS) – earned collectively by English clubs for finishing in the top two of the UEFA coefficient table – would be handed down to the sixth-placed side in the top flight.
While Chelsea can mathematically finish sixth, any prospect of gate-crashing Europe’s premier club competition ultimately depends on whether Villa can overcome Freiburg in the final at Besiktas Park in Istanbul, Turkey, on 20th May.
Calum McFarlane, Interim Manager of Chelsea, during the clash against Liverpool(Image: (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images))
What do Chelsea need to qualify?
Saturday’s results make things tricky for the Blues, but it is still mathematically possible to qualify for Europe. Bournemouth’s win over Fulham means they need just one point from their final two games against Man City or Forest to make it impossible for Chelsea to catch them in sixth.
Brighton (55) are just two points behind Bournemouth and need one win from their final two games of the season against Leeds or Manchester United. Chelsea wouldn’t be able to catch them.
Brentford (51) are four points behind Bournemouth and can still finish in sixth place, and are set to face Crystal Palace and Liverpool in their final two games of the season.
In truth, Chelsea need to win both of their final games of the season, against Spurs and then Sunderland, while the aforementioned clubs lose both of their games, with goal difference also swinging in their favour.
There’s also a possibility that Villa finish in fourth, with Liverpool ending the campaign in fifth. It’s a big ask, and things are out of the Blues’ hands.