Aston Villa travel to Istanbul for the Europa League final against Freiburg on May 20, four days before the Premier League’s season‑closing round. A victory would hand the club a Champions League berth, potentially reshaping England’s allocation of European places. The league already benefits from one of UEFA’s European Performance Spots, guaranteeing at least eight English clubs in Europe next season.

Current standings show Liverpool and Villa sitting on 58 points in fourth and fifth, while Bournemouth trails six points in sixth. Below them, Brentford (51), Brighton (50) and Chelsea (48) vie for the remaining slots. Should Villa lift the Europa trophy yet finish outside the top four, the EPS would promote the league’s sixth‑placed side into the Champions League, squeezing the Europa slot to seventh.

If Crystal Palace capture the Conference League title, they would enter the Europa League as England’s ninth representative, pushing the Conference spot down to eighth. FA Cup outcomes add another layer: a win by Manchester City or Chelsea inside the top seven would shift allocations further. Ultimately, a Villa win combined with a low league finish could see six English clubs in the Champions League, the highest ever under the current system.