Premier League closing in on EXTRA Champions League spot for next season after English clubs dominate European groups

THE Premier League has closed in on an extra place in next season’s Champions League after dominating the first phase of the new expanded competition.

Six of the Prem’s seven sides earned automatic qualification for the last 16 of their respective competitions, with Liverpool and Chelsea achieving top seeding spots and Arsenal, Manchester United and Spurs in the top four.

It means that with the initial league phase of the three revamped competitions now concluded, English sides have picked up an average of 20.892 coefficient points.

That puts the Prem more than 3.7 points clear of third-placed Spain, the equivalent of 13 individual match wins, in the fight for an extra place in the elite competition.

And it gives Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Newcastle even more encouragement as they seek a place in the most prestigious club competition in football.

Across the 54 matches played by Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea – who had to play a two-legged Conference League qualifier, Prem sides have won 37 and lost just eight.

By contrast, Italy’s eight sides amassed 32 wins between them, losing 15, Spain clocked up 31 victories but had 19 defeats and Germany’s 29 triumphs were almost cancelled out by 26 losses.

And with Liverpool, Arsenal, Villa, Spurs, United and Chelsea all qualifying automatically for the last 16 of their respective competitions, the English sides have added a further 62.25 bonus points already.

England’s aggregate total of 146.25 points is the highest by 7.75pts, with Italy on 138.5 and Spain on 120.25.

But the position was strengthened by England having just seven teams in Uefa action, compared to the eight for Italy and Germany who earned an extra Champions League slot last term, as total points are then divided by the number of competing teams each nation has at the start of the season.

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While all the English sides have reached the knock-out phase, the other major nations have seen clubs fall at the league hurdle.

The Bundesliga lost both Leipzig and Stuttgart in the elite competition, while Bologna and Girona also missed the Champions League cut, meaning they cannot add to their countries’ totals.

Hoffenheim made an early Europa League exit as did French outfit Nice – also part of United chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s Ineos sporting empire.

That means Germany are almost out of contention already.

England’s huge advantage – plus the European form of the teams – means it would need a huge meltdown when the teams return to Uefa action for fifth place in the Prem not to earn a place among Europe’s elite.

Despite their Prem wobbles, United and Spurs are now on course for a potential Europa League final showdown in Bilbao after finishing third and fourth in the league phase.

It means they cannot play each other until the Final, when a sixth Champions League spot would also be on the line.

Germany’s debacle leaves the Bundesliga fifth and more than six full coefficient points behind England, with Italy and Spain seemingly fighting for the second extra slot

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