Liverpool is fighting to keep their status in the Champions League for next season. Yet, Bournemouth’s draw against Man City means the battle heads into the final weekend.
Bournemouth’s chances of automatically making the Champions League are in the long shot phase, but The Cherries still have a remote chance to climb above Liverpool in the Premier League standings. All signs point to Liverpool securing the fifth and final Premier League spot for Champions League qualification.
Bournemouth or Liverpool could still qualify for the Champions League by finishing sixth in the EPL table, but the route is much more complicated.
With one match to go, things are trending in Liverpool’s direction as the team leads Bournemouth in the Premier League standings by three points. Additionally, Liverpool holds a six point lead over Bournemouth in the goal differential category.
Let’s take a look at the series of events that Bournemouth or Liverpool needs to happen in order to punch their ticket to the Champions League.
Premier League Standings: Liverpool & Bournemouth Battle for Automatic Champions League Spot
Here’s a look at the current Premier League standings. Arsenal has already won the Premier League title.
The top six teams qualify for the Europa League, at the very least. The top five teams automatically qualify for the Champions League.
Teams listed in bold would qualify for the Champions League based on the current EPL table.
| TEAM | WINS | DRAW | LOSSES | POINTS | GD |
| 1. Arsenal | 25 | 7 | 5 | 82 | 43 |
| 2. Man City | 23 | 9 | 5 | 78 | 43 |
| 3. Man United | 19 | 11 | 7 | 68 | 16 |
| 4. Aston Villa | 18 | 8 | 11 | 62 | 6 |
| 5. Liverpool | 17 | 8 | 12 | 59 | 10 |
| 6. AFC Bournemouth | 13 | 17 | 7 | 56 | 4 |
| 7. Brighton | 14 | 11 | 12 | 53 | 9 |
| 8. Chelsea | 14 | 10 | 13 | 52 | 7 |
| 9. Brentford | 14 | 10 | 13 | 52 | 3 |
How Can Liverpool Qualify for the Champions League?
There are several ways for Liverpool to clinch an automatic Champions League spot. The simplest way is for Liverpool to either notch a draw or win versus Brentford.
Liverpool can also still secure a Champions League bid even with a loss if it is combined with a Bournemouth win. This would depend on the final goal differential, and Liverpool currently holds a six point lead over Bournemouth in this category.
A Bournemouth loss or tie against Nottingham Forest would also secure a Champions League spot for Liverpool as well.
How Can Bournemouth Make the Champions League?
Bournemouth needs a victory over Nottingham Forest combined with a Liverpool loss to be able to climb up to the No. 5 spot in the EPL table. Additionally, Bournemouth needs to make up the six-point goal differential as the two teams would be tied.
For example, Bournemouth defeats Nottingham Forest 4-0, while Liverpool loses to Brentford 4-1. This would erase the goal differential, but again, this is a ambitious hope for an unlikely scenario.
There is also a more complicated path for Bournemoth to make the Champions League from the No. 6 spot, but The Cherries need a lot of help.
“The first will be opened up should Aston Villa beat Freiburg in the Europa League final on Wednesday night,” BBC detailed one of several scenarios. “Then, if the Villans finish fifth in the Premier League, Unai Emery’s side will qualify for the Champions League as the Europa League winners.
“The extra place in the Champions League that the Premier League earned through the European Performance spot would go to the team finishing sixth. To finish fifth, Villa would need to lose at Manchester City, and Liverpool win at home to Brentford.”
There is also a wild scenario where Bournemouth and Liverpool finish with the same number of points and goal differential which would spark a one-game playoff between the two teams.
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