Next season, UEFA will introduce a revised tournament, with an increased number of teams. The number of spots allocated to major leagues, such as the English Premier League, will be determined by their coefficient ranking. England and Premier League are in competition with leagues from Italy and Germany for these spots. This week, England had five clubs still involved in Europe, one more than Germany.

However, by Friday morning, this number could decrease to just one, leaving Aston Villa as the solitary representative from England and the Premier League. Germany, on the other hand, still has Bayern and Leverkusen in the mix and is narrowly ahead on points. The battle for the top four has become a battle for the top five this season. The north Londoners currently sit in fifth place, three points behind Unai Emery’s team.

The team finishing fifth in the Premier League will now have to endure a year of Thursday night football in the Europa League, highlighting the increased competition. Secure in a Champions League spot, Villa could win the Europa Conference League, but they have a tough schedule ahead, facing all of the top three teams before the season concludes. Italy leads the coefficient ranking, followed by Germany, and the changes in the tournament structure will bring further competition between leagues.