Ups, downs and the race for Europe

3 May – Leeds clinch Championship title

3 May – Luton and Plymouth relegated to League One

3 May – Doncaster clinch League Two title

3 May – Bradford promoted to League One

2 May – Falkirk promoted to Scottish Premiership

Liverpool clinched the Premier League title on 27 April with a 5-1 win over Tottenham at Anfield.

The top five teams are guaranteed qualification for the league phase of the Champions League – with Arsenal’s win over Real Madrid on 8 April making certain that England will be one of the two associations with the highest Uefa coefficients for 2024-25, and clinching a fifth place in addition to the usual four.

There are also places in the league phase reserved for the winners of this season’s Champions League and Europa League, regardless of their domestic league positions.

The sixth-placed Premier League team will qualify for the league phase of the Europa League, along with the FA Cup winners. If the FA Cup winners have already qualified for the Champions League, that Europa place reverts to the league.

Newcastle United‘s victory in the Carabao Cup final means that at worst they will qualify for the Conference League play-off round. But if they qualify for Europe by their league position, that Conference League spot will revert to the league.

If Chelsea win the Conference League but fail to reach the Champions League, they will qualify for the league phase of the Europa League.

Chelsea clinched their sixth successive WSL title by beating Manchester United 1-0 on 30 April. They will enter the league phase of the Champions League, with the runners-up entering at the second round and the third-placed side in the first round.

Arsenal and Manchester United are close to making sure of their Champions League places.

Leeds United and Burnley both clinched automatic promotion to the Premier League on 21 April when the Clarets beat Sheffield United 2-1. Leeds secured the title on the final day of the season with a 2-1 win at Plymouth.

Sheffield United, Sunderland, Coventry City and Bristol City will contest the play-offs for the third promotion place.

Birmingham City became the first team in England’s top five divisions to be promoted when they won 2-1 at Peterborough on 8 April, and clinched the title without kicking a ball four days later as Wrexham drew 0-0 at Wigan. Wrexham made sure of the second automatic promotion place on 26 April when they beat Charlton 3-0.

Stockport, Charlton, Wycombe and Leyton Orient will contest the play-offs for the third promotion place.

Doncaster Rovers and Port Vale were automatically promoted to League One on 26 April, as Rovers beat Bradford 2-1 and Vale won 2-0 at AFC Wimbledon. Doncaster secured the title with a 2-0 win at Notts County on the final day of the season, when Bradford City claimed the final automatic promotion place by beating Fleetwood 1-0.

Walsall, AFC Wimbledon, Notts County and Chesterfield will contest the play-offs for the final promotion place.

Barnet clinched the title and the sole automatic promotion place with a game to spare on 26 April as they beat Aldershot 4-0.

York City, Forest Green Rovers, Rochdale, Oldham, Halifax and one other team (Southend or Gateshead, who meet on the final day of the season) will contest the play-offs for the second promotion spot.

The bottom four teams will be relegated to National League North or South, and will be replaced with the champions and play-off winners of those two divisions.

Ebbsfleet United became the first team in England’s top five tiers to be relegated after drawing 3-3 with Aldershot on 22 March, and AFC Fylde joined them on 18 April after losing 1-0 to Halifax. The final two relegation places are between Maidenhead, Wealdstone, Dagenham & Redbridge and Braintree.

Celtic clinched the Premiership title on 26 April with a 5-0 win against Dundee United. They will enter the Champions League play-off round, with runners-up Rangers entering in the second qualifying round.

The Premiership has now split in half after 33 games – with each club playing the others in their ‘half’ for a fourth and final time.

The third-placed Premiership team will enter the Europa League at the second qualifying round, with the fourth-placed team entering the Conference League at the second qualifying round.

If Aberdeen win the Scottish Cup, regardless of their league position, they will enter the Europa League at the play-off round. If Celtic win the Cup, “their” Europa place reverts to the league and will go to the third-placed Premiership team, with the fourth-placed team entering at the second qualifying round and the fifth-placed team entering the Conference League at the second qualifying round.

Champions Falkirk are promoted to the Scottish Premiership, having secured the title on 2 May with a final-day 3-1 win over Hamilton.

Livingston, Ayr United and Partick Thistle will enter a play-off with the 11th-placed Premiership team.

Bottom club Hamilton Academical were deducted 15 points on 17 April for a breach of SPFL rules, and their relegation to Scottish League One was confirmed two days later after a 0-0 draw with Queen’s Park. The Accies lost a subsequent appeal against the deduction.

Arbroath were promoted to the Scottish Championship after beating Stranraer 4-0 on 12 April to clinch the title.

Cove Rangers, Queen of the South and Stenhousemuir will enter a play-off with ninth-placed Championship side Airdrieonians.

Bottom club Dumbarton are relegated to Scottish League Two. They became the first SPFL team to be relegated after drawing 0-0 with Queen of the South on 22 March.

Peterhead clinched the title and automatic promotion to Scottish League One by beating East Fife 1-0 on 26 April.

East Fife, Edinburgh City and Elgin City will enter a play-off with ninth-placed League One side Annan.