Champions League Is Aston Villa's 'dream' - But Who Will Prevail?

Unai Emery said qualifying for nan Champions League is Aston Villa's "dream" aft his broadside beat chap European hopefuls Fulham 1-0 to move level connected points pinch fifth-placed Chelsea successful nan Premier League.

Youri Tielemans scored nan only extremity early successful nan first half to gain Villa their seventh triumph successful 9 convention games and use unit connected nan teams supra them earlier nan weekend's remaining fixtures.

Only 4 points abstracted Manchester City successful 3rd from Villa successful seventh, but Newcastle, Chelsea and sixth-placed Nottingham Forest still person a crippled successful hand.

The Premier League's apical 5 are each guaranteed a spot successful nan Champions League adjacent season.

"We are truthful motivated to beryllium [in nan Champions League] again," Emery told BBC Match of nan Day.

"Europe is very important for nan nine and for our progress. The Champions League is nan astir difficult accomplishment we tin have.

"It was a very important triumph - nan Champions convention is our dream."

Villa look Bournemouth distant and Tottenham Hotspur astatine location successful their adjacent 2 fixtures, earlier travelling to Manchester United successful their last crippled of nan campaign.

They reached nan quarter-finals of Europe's premier nine title this season, losing 5-4 connected aggregate to Paris St-Germain despite a rousing second-leg fightback astatine Villa Park.

"We're hopeless [to suffice again]," said Villa skipper John McGinn. "Once you've had a sensation of it, you want more.

"Today hopefully gets america knocking connected nan door. We want to beryllium successful nan Champions League and will springiness it everything we have."

In Saturday's precocious game, Bournemouth boosted their hopes of capping a magnificent play pinch European qualification by beating Arsenal astatine Emirates Stadium.

There will beryllium astatine slightest 8 Premier convention teams competing successful Europe adjacent play - up from nan accustomed 7 - but things could alteration successful nan last weeks of nan campaign.

Twelfth-placed Crystal Palace, who beat Villa successful nan FA Cup semi-finals past weekend, could still extremity up qualifying for Europe via nan convention aliases by beating City successful nan FA Cup last later this month.

BBC Sport looks astatine really galore teams could suffice for each of nan continental competitions: nan Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

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

Arsenal: Liverpool (A); Newcastle (H); Southampton (A)

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

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

Manchester City: Southampton (A); Bournemouth (H); Fulham (A)

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

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

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

Fulham: Everton (H); Brentford (A); Manchester City (H)

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

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

Crystal Palace: Nottingham Forest (H); Tottenham (A); Wolves (H); Liverpool (A)

Depending connected really things cookware retired this season, location will beryllium betwixt 8 and 11 teams from nan Premier League taking portion successful Europe adjacent season.

At slightest 5 of those will beryllium successful nan Champions League because of England's improved capacity successful Uefa's coefficient rankings.

That number could emergence to six should Arsenal triumph nan Champions League and decorativeness extracurricular nan apical 5 - an improbable imaginable - aliases moreover 7 if that happens and Manchester United aliases Tottenham triumph nan Europa League.

Man Utd and Spurs some stole a march connected their opponents successful nan first limb of their Europa League semi-final ties, beating Athletic Club 3-0 and Bodo/Glimt 3-1 respectively.

The maximum of 3 Premier League teams could beryllium competing successful nan Europa League adjacent season.

Two places will apt spell to nan squad who decorativeness sixth and nan FA Cup winners.

However, if nan cup winners person already secured a European place, it will past spell to nan adjacent highest placed broadside who person not qualified for Europe.

A 3rd spot could beryllium awarded if Chelsea triumph nan Conference League and neglect to suffice for nan Champions League.

The Blues' hopes of lifting that trophy were boosted connected Thursday acknowledgment to a 4-1 triumph astatine Djurgarden successful nan first-leg of their semi-final.

There will beryllium 1 Conference League spot awarded to a Premier League team.

As things guidelines that will spell to Carabao Cup winners Newcastle, but that could alteration if Eddie Howe's broadside suffice for nan Champions League aliases nan Europa League.

As Newcastle presently beryllium wrong nan apical four, that looks likely.

Even a ninth aliases 10th-place decorativeness could realistically beryllium capable to unafraid a spot successful adjacent season's Conference League.

This could still happen, but it is highly improbable.

It would require Arsenal to triumph nan Champions League, Manchester United aliases Tottenham to triumph nan Europa League and Chelsea to assistance nan Conference League trophy, and each 3 winners to decorativeness extracurricular nan apical six.

Arsenal are 2nd successful nan Premier League and improbable to decorativeness extracurricular nan apical five.