The Premier League could have six teams in the Champions League next season and 10 in Europe after a potentially pivotal weekend.
Manchester United moved within touching distance of Champions League qualification with a . The win increased Michael Carrick's side's stranglehold on third with a hard-fought Old Trafford triumph, giving them an 11-point lead over sixth-placed Brighton with just four matches to play.
United now need just two points to confirm their return to the top-tier of European football.
Meanwhile, , coupled with earlier in the day, moved Arne Slot's side into fourth on goal difference and opened up the possibility of the Premier League having six teams in the Champions League next season.
Should Unai Emery's men finish fifth, but also win the Europa League, the fifth-placed spot - an extra position earned because of English teams' recent performances in Europe - would pass down to the team in sixth, currently Brighton on 50 points.
But Brighton are only two points ahead of Fulham in 10th, meaning the battle for Europe is really on for Bournemouth (49 points), Chelsea (48 points) and Brentford (48 points).
As things stand now, the Premier League is guaranteed five teams in Europe's premier club competition next season, meaning there will be at least eight sides competing in Europe, with the two Europa League qualifying places [team finishing sixth & FA Cup winners] and a single Conference League space [team finishing seventh].
More generally, that number could even rise to as many as 10. This is how:
Yes, there are a few ways this could happen, although some are more likely than others.
The most likely is entry via winning the Europa League, with Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest meeting in the semi-finals, meaning one English side will be in the final.
If it is Villa who win the competition, but also finish in the top four, nothing changes and the Champions League spot reserved for winning the Europa League would pass down to the team in qualifying with the best UEFA coefficient, which would be Club Brugge as things stand.
However, were Unai Emery's side to triumph in Istanbul on May 20 but finish outside the top four, then the Premier League would get six teams in next season's Champions League, although Villa's final position in the table would then determine who took the extra place.
For example, were Villa to finish in fifth, then the sixth-placed team would be in Europe's premier club competition, although the Premier League would then give up a place in next season's Europa League.
However, in total, England would still have eight European spots next season: six via the Champions League and one each in the Europa League [the FA Cup winners] and the Conference League [finishing in seventh].
Things are a lot less complicated, though, if Forest cause an upset by winning Europe's second-tier competition as they would simply be the Premier League's sixth Champions League representative next season, as happened with Tottenham Hotspur in the last campaign.
Remember the side that wins the Conference League goes straight into next season's Europa League.
Crystal Palace - who face Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-finals - are favourites to lift that trophy in Leipzig on May 27 and with Oliver Glasner's side 13th in the table and unlikely to qualify for Europe via their league position, they would compete in next season's Europa League.
As a result, that would mean nine Premier League teams in Europe next season: five via the Champions League and three in the Europa League [FA Cup & Conference League winners and team finishing sixth] and one in the Conference League [team finishing seventh].
That scenario would need Palace to win the Europa Conference League, Forest or Villa to win the Europa League - and if it is Villa, they would need to finish outside of the top six in the Premier League as well.
In that event, the Premier League would have six sides in the Champions League [the top five and the Europa League winners], three in the Europa League [team finishing sixth, the FA Cup & Conference League winners] and one in the Conference League [team finishing seventh].
Yes, although not the number of teams taking part in Europe, just who competes in what competition.
For example, were Manchester City to win an eighth FA Cup at Wembley on May 16, sixth and seventh places in the Premier League will qualify for the Europa League, with eighth going into the Conference League.
However, if Chelsea win the cup, the west London club would need to finish inside the top seven for the Conference League spot to transfer to eighth.
