Following a challenging week in the Champions League, the Premier League made a strong recovery on Thursday.
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest have progressed in the Europa League, while Crystal Palace has moved forward in the Conference League, securing an additional spot in next season’s Champions League.
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Uefa awards European Performance Spots (EPS) to the two nations that excel in these three competitions.
This development likely means an additional slot for the Premier League, allowing the fifth-placed team to qualify for the Champions League, similar to what Newcastle achieved last season.
With recent improvements in performance, here’s the current situation.
What does the table look like?
ENGLAND
Despite four teams being eliminated this week, it’s almost certain that the Premier League will gain an additional place.
England’s coefficient score of 24.791 already exceeds that of last season’s second-place nation, Spain, which stands at 23.892.
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Just one more draw is needed for the Premier League to secure its position mathematically.
Only Portugal and Spain have the potential to surpass England.
However, for Portugal to contend, all three of its remaining teams would need to reach the finals of both the Champions League and the Europa League.
SPAIN
Spain currently ranks second and is on track to have five teams qualifying again.
La Liga has more teams remaining in European competitions (six) than any other league.
GERMANY
Germany is down to three active teams, making it unlikely to secure second place. However, there are a couple of matchups between German and Spanish teams in the quarter-finals.
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In the Champions League, Bayern Munich faces Real Madrid, and in the Europa League, Freiburg takes on Celta Vigo.
PORTUGAL
Portugal’s opportunity to rank among the top two has been significantly impacted by Santa Clara’s elimination from the Conference League in the qualifying rounds.
If they had fielded a full slate of teams in the league phase, they would have been strong contenders. Now, all three of their clubs must advance far to have any chance of surpassing Spain.
ITALY
Serie A has lost five of its seven teams and now has only a slim chance of reaching second place.
No other countries are in contention for the top two spots.
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How do European Performance Spots work?
Uefa assesses the overall performance of clubs in the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League to determine the successful nations.
This is done by calculating an average coefficient score, dividing the total score by the number of clubs each league has in European competition.
As an example, if the Premier League had a total score of 185 across nine clubs, the average would be 20.56.
The top two leagues in this ranking receive an additional Champions League spot.
Every win—regardless of the competition—earns two coefficient points, while a draw earns one.
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The primary differentiator is the bonus points awarded for clubs’ finishing positions in the league phases and knockout rounds, which are significantly higher in the Champions League.
For instance, teams finishing between 25th and 36th in the Champions League received six bonus points, despite being eliminated, while the top team in the Conference League, Strasbourg, garnered only four points.
Bonus points for progressing through knockout rounds are weighted as follows: Champions League earns 1.5 points, Europa League 1 point, and Conference League 0.5 points.
This system almost guarantees that one of the top European leagues will secure extra places each season due to having more clubs in the Champions League.
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How does the Premier League race for Champions League places look?
Currently, Premier League leaders Arsenal (70 points) hold a nine-point lead over Manchester City (61), with both clubs looking set for Champions League qualification.
Manchester United (54) is in third, followed closely by Aston Villa (51).
As it stands, the additional Champions League place would go to fifth-placed Liverpool (49).
Several clubs are vying for a top-five finish, including Chelsea (48) in sixth, followed by Brentford (45), Everton (43), and Newcastle (42).
This article comes from the BBC Sport’s Ask Me Anything team.