The Sun explained that it would help Tottenham Hotspur to qualify for next season’s Champions League if Arsenal beat Porto to reach the quarter-finals.
As the Champions League will be expanded next season, the two leagues with the best performances in the three European competitions this season will get the extra automatic qualification places.
However, as Newcastle United and Manchester United have been knocked out of the Premier League in the group stage, it is clarified that England now find themselves in third place ahead of the knockout stages.
Tottenham can rely on Arsenal in the Champions League:
Manchester City will qualify for the next round after beating Copenhagen in the first round last week, but The Sun now claims that Arsenal’s win over Porto will go a long way to securing fifth place in the Champions League for the Premier League.
Spurs and Man Utd could thus find themselves in the horrible position of having to cheer for the Gunners. They also hope that Liverpool, Brighton and West Ham will go deep into the Europa League and that Aston Villa will do the same in the Conference League.
The Premier League is likely to get an extra Champions League place, no matter how far Arsenal qualify for the competition this season. Man City is one of the favourites to win this competition, while we would also bet on one of the three English clubs to win the Europa League.
Unai Emery also has an excellent record in European competitions, so Villa will be keen to clinch the Conference title.