Aston Villa ended a 44-year wait for European silverware on Thursday night, beating Freiburg 3-0 to lift the Europa League — and in doing so, they have handed the Premier League a genuine shot at placing six clubs in next season's Champions League.
Unai Emery's side had already secured a top-five finish in the Premier League, meaning their spot in Europe's elite competition was confirmed regardless of Thursday's result. But winning the Europa League changes the arithmetic significantly, and Bournemouth and Brighton will now be paying very close attention to how the final round of Premier League fixtures unfolds.
How does the sixth spot work?
Because Villa have won the Europa League, they qualify for next season's Champions League as trophy holders. If they also finish fifth in the Premier League — which remains possible — their top-five slot effectively frees up an additional route into the Champions League via the European Performance Spot the Premier League has already secured.
That extra place would then fall to whichever club finishes sixth. With the top five already largely settled, sixth place is where the drama now lives on the final day.
What Villa need to happen
For the sixth-place scenario to come into effect, Villa must finish fifth rather than higher. That would require them to lose at Manchester City on the final day, while Liverpool would also need to win at home to Brentford. Should those results fall into place, the scramble for sixth spot becomes a Champions League play-off in all but name.
Bournemouth vs Brighton for that final berth
The noises out of both camps will be cautiously optimistic, but the permutations are tight. Bournemouth travel to Nottingham Forest knowing that avoiding defeat would be enough to claim sixth — provided Brighton do not win at home to Manchester United at the Amex.
Should Andoni Iraola's Cherries lose at the City Ground while Fabian Hürzeler's Seagulls pick up all three points against United, Brighton would leapfrog them and snatch that coveted final Champions League place. Any other combination of results would see Bournemouth hold on.
A remarkable prospect for English football
Six English clubs in the Champions League would represent an extraordinary achievement for the Premier League. The competition's expanded format has made it more achievable, but it still requires everything to align on the final day — and after Villa's heroics in Bilbao, the stage is very much set.
Morgan Rogers was among the scorers as Villa swept Freiburg aside, capping a European run that Emery has orchestrated with the same calm authority he has brought to everything at Villa Park. The Spaniard has now won the Europa League on multiple occasions, and his latest triumph carries real structural consequences for English football going into 2025-26.
The final-day picture is as compelling as it gets. Sixth place has rarely mattered more.
Frequently asked
- How can the Premier League get six teams in the Champions League?
- Aston Villa's Europa League win means they qualify as trophy holders. If they also finish fifth in the Premier League, the European Performance Spot the Premier League has already earned would go to the sixth-placed club, giving England six representatives in total.
- What do Bournemouth need on the final day to reach the Champions League?
- Bournemouth need to avoid defeat at Nottingham Forest, or Brighton must fail to win at home to Manchester United. If Bournemouth lose and Brighton win, it is the Seagulls who would claim sixth place and the Champions League berth.
- How did Aston Villa qualify for next season's Champions League?
- Villa qualified in two ways — they secured a top-five finish in the Premier League, and they won the Europa League by beating Freiburg 3-0, which also earns automatic entry into the Champions League as holders.