Premier League race for the top five: Who will claim the Champions League spots?

The Premier League may be heading towards the business end of the season, but there are still plenty of narratives unresolved.

One of those is the battle for the top five, with English clubs' performance in Europe paving the way for an additional Champions League spot.

As it stands, Arsenal and Manchester City are nailed on for two of those places, while Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea occupy the other positions.

However, with a host of clubs in contention, who will reach the promised land come the end of the campaign?

Aston Villa in driving seat for Champions League qualification

Aston Villa certainly hold the advantage in terms of points, but their recent form and remaining fixtures will cause some concern for their supporters.

The Villains sit in third on 51 points with a six-point cushion on sixth-place Liverpool, but with the solitary win in February, they simply must turn their form around.

Unai Emery's side were only able to pick up a point against Leeds United at Villa Park and are dropping points against sides that they should be putting to bed.

On paper, the Villans have a trickier run than their rivals, as they face Chelsea and United in the coming weeks, while they end the season with games against Liverpool and City.

The West Midlands club will want to avoid the final-day misery of last season, when poor officiating at Old Trafford left them with a Europa League place.

While Villa are in a strong position, they do not need telling how quickly their advantage can evaporate.

One of Man United, Chelsea or Liverpool likely to miss out

Chelsea, United and Liverpool are three of England's biggest clubs, but all signs point towards one of these giants missing out on Champions League qualification.

All three sides have endured turbulent seasons in their own right, with the Blues and the Red Devils sacking their managers, while the Premier League champions have failed to live up to the heights expected of them.

With only three points separating the trio, it is going to be incredibly tight, with all three set to play each other before the end of the season.

The Red Devils are the form team of the three, thanks to Michael Carrick's immediate impact at Old Trafford, and if they maintain their performance levels, then they will make the top five.

Chelsea produced some encouraging results early into Liam Rosenior's tenure, but they have been less than convincing in their displays, with draws against Leeds United and Burnley highlighting this.

As for Liverpool, they looked back to their best against Sunderland, becoming the first team to beat the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light this term, but were extremely fortunate to beat Nottingham Forest last weekend.

Although consistency is an issue, Arne Slot's side face four of the bottom five over the coming weeks, which should see them catch the Blues.

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Could Brentford pull off the unthinkable?

Keith Andrews must surely be a contender for Manager of the Season after what he has achieved with Brentford this campaign.

Understandably, after Thomas Frank departed for Tottenham, the Bees were favourites for relegation, but here they are on the cusp of the Champions League places.

Barring a couple of recent mishaps, the Gtech Community Stadium has been a fortress this season, with Arsenal the latest big club to discover just how difficult a place it is to go.

In Igor Thiago, they have a prolific goalscorer, while their back four have been reliable, and the signing of Jordan Henderson has been a masterstroke.

The Bees' upcoming run is tasty to say the least as they are due to play a collection of relegation candidates, including Wolves, Burnley and West Ham United.

However, with United, City and Liverpool amongst their opponents in the final weeks, they will have to secure some giant-killings to achieve their ultimate dream.

With a substantial chunk of the season remaining, it truly is anyone's game in the race for the top five.

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How to watch the Premier League in Canada

Soccer fans in Canada can watch every Premier League match during the 2025-26 season on DAZN.

With Fubo Sports on DAZN, Canadians can catch Premier League action as well as Serie A. Additionally, DAZN is the home of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Bundesliga and more.

For pricing information and to sign up to watch, click here.