Aston Villa handed major Champions League qualification boost that could take the pressure off Unai Emery

Aston Villa are enjoying a hugely-promising 2023/24 season as they continue their pursuit of a top four Premier League finish. Unai Emery's side have edged their way ahead of usual Champions League candidates like Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Chelsea as they push for their spot in the elite tournament next season.

Villa have banked 55 points so far and have issued major upsets to title challengers Arsenal and Manchester City along the way, showcasing how much this team has developed in recent years. Despite their recent 4-0 loss to top four rivals Spurs, the Villans are still in the favoured position with a two-point cushion.

However, the pressure to keep their spot in fourth could be eased following a change in the Champions League format. The tournament is due to expand to 36 teams for the 2024/25 season onwards, which means two football leagues will be awarded an extra qualification place. If Villa slip into fifth somewhere down the line this season, they could still earn a place in the Champions League.

How the extra Champions League spot is decided

The two best-performing leagues in Europe will be granted the extra spot and England are in with a very good chance of being one of the two at the end of the season. England currently have five teams still in European competitions, with Villa contributing to that after their latest win over Ajax.

The longer English clubs can stay in their respective European competitions this season, the more coefficient points they will earn as a country. The two leagues with the best average coefficient will earn the extra Champions League qualification places.

A win in each tournament is worth two points, a draw is worth one, and a loss will not bank any points. There are also further bonus points on offer as each team reaches certain stages in the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League. All points collected will be added together and then divided by the amount of teams the country has participating in Europe that season, to create the coefficient average.

Here's a breakdown of the bonus points system.

Champions League bonus points 4 — Group stage participation 5 — Reaching the Round of 16 1 — Reaching the quarter-final, semi-final, final

Europa League bonus points 4 — Group winners 2 — Group runners-up 1 — Reaching the Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final, final

Europa Conference League bonus points 2 — Group winners 1 — Group runners-up 1 — Reaching the semi-final, final

With Villa, West Ham, Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City all still in their respective European tournaments, England are almost certain to finish in the top two, while Italy are also in a very strong position. The Hammers' win over SC Freiburg has handed a major boost to England's hopes of earning an extra spot with an English side progressing and a German team crashing out. Here is the current top 10 following the latest results on March 14th.

1. Italy, 17.714 2. Germany, 16.357 3. England, 16.250 4. France, 14.750 5. Spain, 14.187 6. Czechia, 13.250 7. Belgium, 13.200 8. Turkey, 11.500 9. Portugal, 10.1666 10. Netherlands, 10.000