Yesterday reports emerged claiming that Arsenal could get given a place in next season’s Champions League thanks to their coefficient points tally, but today’s UEFA meeting has apparently put an end to such hopes.
It was claimed that our club would usurp the likes of Leicester and Chelsea in their bid to qualify for Europe’s elite competition thanks to their accumulated coefficient points, but UEFA have apparently made the decision to use a points-per-match system will be used to make up the final tables in regards to league placings.
This will not make any changes to the current table in regards to the top five, leaving Chelsea and Manchester United to join Liverpool and Leicester in the main competition, while Sheffield United will be promoted to sixth in the table, and Arsenal to eighth place leapfrogging Wolves and Tottenham respectably.
Finishing eighth looks likely to be enough to qualify for the Europa League however. One EL place is usually given to the team closest to the CL places, with two teams supposedly qualifying through the League Cup and FA Cup respectively.
Of course Man City won the Carabao Cup, meaning that that place will go to the next placed team in the EPL, and should the division be unfinished, the FA Cup will surely be halted at the last eight stage, meaning that place will surely have to be given to us in eighth place, much to the dismay of Tottenham.
This is all hypothetical of course, with the impetus on completing the current campaign when possible, but with Club Brugge already crowned champions in Belgium following the cancellation of the Pro League, you have to consider the possibility that the PL will not return.
I would personally look forward to seeing Jose Mourinho’s reaction should the above scenario prove true…
Patrick
