Premier League race for Europa: chasing the ‘big 6’

STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 04: Claude Puel, Manager of Leicester City shows appreciation to the fans after the Premier League match between Stoke City and Leicester City at Bet365 Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 04: Claude Puel, Manager of Leicester City shows appreciation to the fans after the Premier League match between Stoke City and Leicester City at Bet365 Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 04: Claude Puel, Manager of Leicester City shows appreciation to the fans after the Premier League match between Stoke City and Leicester City at Bet365 Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 04: Claude Puel, Manager of Leicester City shows appreciation to the fans after the Premier League match between Stoke City and Leicester City at Bet365 Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /

Which clubs are striving to be ‘best of the rest’, in seventh position? Being right behind the ‘big six’ could bring a prized Europa place.

Premier League’s game-week 24 is now behind us. Swansea’s impressive victory against high-flyers Liverpool, ending the round. Thrilling football gave us a mighty 2.5 goals a game on average. Although we are not focussing on the top or bottom in this article: it’s all about seventh and Europa!

Does seventh mean Europa automatically?

It is very likely one of the top six Premier League teams win the FA Cup as well as the League Cup. If this happens, the club which finishes 7th will qualify for European football. If either competition is won by a team 8th or lower (or another division), then that club qualify for the Europa League.

Second Division Cardiff City actually qualified for the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1968 and in 1988. The Welsh side actually managed to colossally reach the semi-finals on both occasions. Leicester are strongly looking to maintain their presence in Europe. The Midlands outfit reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2017.