Champions League and Europa League qualification: What Arsenal's FA Cup win means for Tottenham and Wolves
Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley in Saturday's FA Cup final
Sunday 2 August 2020 11:31, UK
Arsenal's FA Cup win means they have qualified for the Europa League group stages next season - and is a blow to Tottenham and Wolves.
Bad news for Spurs and Wolves
The Gunners' 2-1 comeback victory over Chelsea ensured their place in the Europa League next season but it also means Tottenham - who finished sixth in the Premier League - will have to go into the second qualifying round of the competition. Spurs would have gone straight into the group stage if Chelsea had won.
But it's worse news for Wolves. A Chelsea win would have handed them a Europa League second qualifying round spot after finishing seventh in the Premier League but they may miss out on European football completely because of Arsenal's triumph - unless they win this season's Europa League.
If Wolves were to win the Europa League, they would earn a Champions League group stage place for the 2020/21 season.
They are currently level with Olympiakos 1-1 after the first leg of their last-16 tie. The second leg takes place at Molineux on Thursday, August 6.
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What Arsenal's win means for Spurs...
The Gunners' Wembley win means Spurs face a qualification campaign to reach the Europa League group stages.
Jose Mourinho's side will enter the second round of qualifying and face an additional three qualifying games, with trips to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Montenegro, Estonia and the Faroe Islands all possible.
It's a blow to Spurs' preparations for the new campaign with Mourinho facing selection headaches as he looks to plot his way through a grueling early season schedule.
Spurs' European campaign will start on September 17, just five days after the new Premier League season gets underway.
Who has already qualified for European football?
Champions League - Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United (all group stage)
Europa League - Leicester, Arsenal (both group stage), Tottenham (second qualifying round)
Eight in Europe?
Arsenal's FA Cup win opens up the opportunity for eight English sides to be playing in Europe next season.
If Wolves win the Europa League, they will join Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea in the Champions League group stage next term as Europa League winners.
Arsenal qualify for the Europa League group stage as FA Cup winners.
Leicester have qualified for the Europa League group stage next season as the fifth-placed team.
And Tottenham have qualified for the Europa League second qualifying round as the sixth-placed team.
The qualification rules broken down...
Champions League qualification
The top four teams in the Premier League will qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.
Winning the Champions League or Europa League also guarantees a place in the group stages.Europa League qualification
There are three ways to qualify for the Europa League:
- Finish fifth - qualify for the Europa League group stage
- Win the FA Cup - qualify for the Europa League group stage
- Win the Carabao Cup - qualify for the Europa League second qualifying round
