Enzo Maresca and Pep Guardiola will be looking for a favour from Arsenal (Image: Getty)
In worst season under , their rivals could be about to hand them a gigantic favour. The Blues have endured a torrid campaign, with injuries and poor squad planning having come back to bite them on the backside.
Heading into the final 10 games of the season, City currently sit fifth with 47 points to their name. By contrast, , who are about to be crowned Premier League champions, are a whopping 23 points ahead.
For , all things considered, it’s been a relatively okay season for in his first campaign as manager. The former Leicester boss has one place and two points above City, with both teams in the mix for qualification.
However, the pair could be given a helping hand by the teams, particularly and , still remaining in European competition. That’s because the Premier League needs just one more victory from one of their clubs left in continental competition to confirm fifth spot in the division as a Champions League qualifier.
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The Premier League is on the verge of having five Champions League qualifiers (Image: Getty)
As things stand, and Aston Villa are still in the Champions League, and are through to the last eight, while themselves will compete in the quarter-finals. But given the Champions League offers more coefficient points for wins, a victory for or Aston Villa in their Champions League quarter-final would be more than enough to do the trick.
Bizarrely, there is next season. It would require the five who finish inside the league positions not to win a European trophy this term, while two Premier League sides would need to sweep up UEFA titles.
The most likely scenario would see a top five consisting of , , , City and , with Aston Villa missing out, but miraculously going on to win the Champions League itself. If that proved the case, Villa would earn qualification for next year’s tournament as defending champions.
Elsewhere, for seven clubs to be granted entry into the Champions League, one of Spurs or would have to go all the way in the Europa League. Given their lowly position in the Premier League table, it’s almost certain neither will qualify for the competition via the league, making the Europa League their last available route in.