Five teams separated by three points – race for Europe is intensifying

Nottingham Forest seriously boosted their Champions League qualification hopes on Monday with a win at Tottenham that lifted them to third in the Premier League table.

Just three points separate Forest and Aston Villa in seventh, with the Premier League’s top five guaranteed a spot in the Champions League next season.

After Chelsea and Manchester City both won at the weekend Nuno Espirito Santo’s side had slipped from fourth to sixth before their match with Spurs.

But Forest, who have twice lifted the European Cup but haven’t played in Europe’s premier competition since 1980, rallied with a 2-1 win.

As many as 11 European places are up for grabs and there will definitely be a minimum of eight teams – up from the usual seven – playing in Europe next season, but things could change in the coming weeks.

It means Crystal Palace down in 12th still have something to play for.

Liverpool: Tottenham (H); Chelsea (A); Arsenal (H); Brighton (A); Crystal Palace (H)

Arsenal: Crystal Palace (H); Bournemouth (H); Liverpool (A); Newcastle (H); Southampton (A)

Newcastle: Ipswich (H); Brighton (A); Chelsea (H); Arsenal (A); Everton (H)

Nottingham Forest: Brentford (H); Crystal Palace (A); Leicester (H); West Ham (A); Chelsea (H)

Manchester City: Aston Villa (H); Wolves (H); Southampton (A); Bournemouth (H); Fulham (A)

Chelsea: Everton (H); Liverpool (H); Newcastle (A); Manchester United (H); Nottingham Forest (A)

Aston Villa: Manchester City (A); Fulham (H); Bournemouth (A); Tottenham (H); Manchester United (A)

Bournemouth: Manchester United (H); Arsenal (A); Aston Villa (H); Manchester City (A); Leicester (H)

Fulham: Southampton (A); Aston Villa (A); Everton (H); Brentford (A); Manchester City (H)

Brighton: West Ham (H); Newcastle (H); Wolves (A); Liverpool (H); Tottenham (A)

Brentford: Nottingham Forest (A); Manchester United (H); Ipswich (A); Fulham (H); Wolves (A)

Depending on how things pan out this season there will be between eight and 11 teams from the Premier League taking part in Europe next season.

A minimum of five of those will be in the Champions League, which is higher than the usual four because of England’s performance in Uefa’s coefficient rankings.

The maximum number of Premier League teams who could be competing in the Europa League is three.

Two places will likely go to the team who finishes sixth and the FA Cup winners.

However, if the cup winners have already secured a European place it will then go to the next highest placed side that has not qualified for Europe.

There will be one Conference League place awarded to a Premier League team.

Currently, that will go to Carabao Cup winners Newcastle, but that could change if Eddie Howe’s side qualify for the Champions League or the Europa League.

As Newcastle currently sit inside the top four that looks likely.

This could happen, but it is highly improbable.

It would require Arsenal to win the Champions League, Manchester United or Tottenham to win the Europa League and Chelsea to lift the Conference League trophy, and all three winners to finish outside the top six.