The race to climb into the Champions League spots has by no means felt so wide-open as two of the early front-runners Aston Villa and West Ham meet stay on Sky Sports Super Sunday.

The days of the Premier League’s so-called Big Four – Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool – are lengthy gone.

With the highest flight having returned this weekend from the October worldwide break, these sides perched simply exterior the highest 4 know ending in fifth has an added layer of significance.

UEFA has authorised the ultimate format and entry checklist for European membership competitions from subsequent season onwards – and two Champions League spots will to go associations with the very best collective efficiency by their golf equipment within the earlier marketing campaign.

A phrase of warning…

The Premier League has eight golf equipment in Europe this season after West Ham gained the Europa Conference League. As they did not qualify domestically, it means each win by an English membership will likely be value barely much less to the coefficient rating owing to it being a mean rating of eight golf equipment fairly than seven.

The final time England had eight golf equipment in Europe, in 2015-16, it solely completed third within the season’s coefficient rating, as each Southampton and West Ham did not make it by the qualifying rounds. With all eight of this season’s golf equipment safely within the group phases, nevertheless, there needs to be higher information this time round.

In a substantial blow to LaLiga’s coefficient, Osasuna did not make the group stage of the Europa Conference League, so the highest line is that from right here it will take a really poor season for the Premier League to not get 5 locations.

How is the battle shaping up?

So, now we have established the 2 leagues which have the very best coefficients this season will get an extra place within the Champions League group stage subsequent season.

If England is certainly one of them, fifth within the Premier League will qualify. To stress, particular person membership coefficient is not related, and the place will likely be awarded to the subsequent staff within the home desk.

The Premier League has been within the high two in six of the previous seven seasons (in 2019-20, Germany pipped England to second by a solitary victory), in order that’s excellent news for the chasing pack.

sixth: Aston Villa (16 factors)

Aston Villa are getting used to Thursday-Sunday soccer. In reality, all of their subsequent 5 Premier League video games fall on a Sunday, beginning with the go to of West Ham stay on Sky Sports, owing to their Europa League commitments.

Having negotiated difficult opening fixtures, profitable away at Chelsea and Burnley, Unai Emery’s aspect will now look to capitalise on a beneficial run of matches.

What is extra, Villa have gained 10 consecutive Premier League matches at Villa Park and three of their subsequent 4 fixtures are at house.

That stated, West Ham are able to derailing them upon the restart given their counter-attacking qualities and Emery’s choice of a excessive line of defense.

Next 4 fixtures: West Ham (H) stay on Sky Sports, Luton (H), Nottingham Forest (A) stay on Sky Sports, Fulham (H)

ninth: West Ham (14 factors)

West Ham have presumably the hardest set of returning fixtures. David Moyes’ aspect face a tough 22-day interval that features two Europa League video games and a Carabao Cup house tie towards Arsenal.

The Hammers sit ninth after Saturday’s matches and had concurrently confronted the second-most pictures within the league (147) and had the third-highest Expected Goals Against (xGA) on 16.3.

Villa have turned their house floor right into a fortress whereas enhancing Everton will likely be a tough take a look at. The subsequent 4 matches will decide whether or not West Ham’s first eight matches have offered a false narrative.

Next 4 fixtures: Aston Villa (A) stay on Sky Sports, Everton (H) stay on Sky Sports, Brentford (A), Nottingham Forest (H) stay on Sky Sports

When do we discover out who will get the additional locations?

We are solely in October, so it’s far too early to even predict which sides will nonetheless be in European competition come the tip of the season. However, the image will develop into so much clearer on all fronts by March, as soon as we all know which leagues have groups by to the quarter-finals of the three European competitions.

But it may properly go proper all the way down to the ultimate kick. In 2019/20, the Bundesliga didn’t overtake the Premier League for second place till Bayern Munich overcame Paris Saint-Germain within the closing of the Champions League. This season’s showpiece takes place on June 1 at Wembley, for a change.

Wouldn’t or not it’s enjoyable if Arsenal gained the Champions League handy fifth-placed Tottenham entry through the again door? Ange Postecoglou will likely be hoping qualification is assured lengthy earlier than then.

What if the CL winners end exterior high 4?

Previously, there was a most of 5 golf equipment from one affiliation that might play within the Champions League.

That meant, within the unlikely situation the place groups from the identical league gained the Champions League and Europa League – whereas ending exterior the Champions League locations domestically – then fourth must give up their place and drop into the Europa League.

Not anymore.

It is now doable that seven Premier League groups can earn a spot within the Champions League: The high 5, and the winners of Europe’s high two membership competitions.

And if we actually needed to have some enjoyable, we are able to lengthen this to all three European competitions to disclose that the Premier League may have as many as 11 groups enjoying continental soccer subsequent season: The standard allocation of seven, plus the additional Champions League place and the winners of all three European competitions, offered they completed exterior a European place.

How to watch Premier League highlights

This season you’ll be able to watch Premier League highlights simply after the full-time whistle free of charge and with out being a Sky Sports subscriber.

We’ll deliver you highlights of each Premier League recreation on the Sky Sports web site and app at full-time or from 5.15pm on Saturday afternoons.

You’ll additionally have the ability to watch In-game objectives from Sky Live video games on Twitter and catch Premier League highlights on our Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.

Upcoming televised Premier League schedule in full…

October 22: Aston Villa vs West Ham, kick-off 4.30pm

October 23: Tottenham vs Fulham, kick-off 8pm

October 27: Wolves vs Newcastle, kick-off 5.30pm

October 29: West Ham vs Everton, kick-off 1pm

October 29: Man Utd vs Man City, kick-off 3.30pm

November 4: Newcastle vs Arsenal, kick-off 5.30pm

November 5: Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa, kick-off 2pm

November 5: Luton vs Liverpool, kick-off 4.30pm

November 6: Tottenham vs Chelsea, kick-off 8pm

November 11: Bournemouth vs Newcastle, kick-off 5.30pm

November 12: West Ham vs Nottingham Forest, kick-off 2pm

November 12: Chelsea vs Man City, kick-off 4.30pm

November 25: Man City vs Liverpool, kick-off 12.30pm

November 26: Tottenham vs Aston Villa, kick-off 2pm

November 26: Everton vs Man Utd, kick-off 4.30pm

November 27: Fulham vs Wolves, kick-off 8pm