Man Utd handed huge Champions League boost after heroics by Premier League rival
Manchester United have been provided with a massive boost in their quest for Champions League football next season after West Ham secured Europa League progress.
David Moyes guided his side through to the quarter-finals of Europe's secondary competition with an outstanding 5-0 win over Freiburg as the Hammers wiped out their one-goal deficit from the first leg. Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and Aaron Cresswell ensured a positive result was on the cards at the London Stadium before a brace from Mohammed Kudus.
That victory improves England's standings in the UEFA co-efficient rankings, with the Premier League on track to secure a fifth place in Europe's elite club competition next season. Those rankings will decide which nation receives an additional qualification for the Champions League's new format next term.
The 2024/25 season will see the Champions League move to 36 teams competing in a Swiss format where clubs will play eight matches against eight different opponents. The top eight performing sides will then progress to the knockout rounds, with teams ranked from ninth to 24th competing in play-offs to make the quarter-final.
The expansion sees an extra place awarded to the two best performing leagues in Europe this term. With Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, West Ham and Aston Villa all still in contention across Europe's various competitions, the Premier League now appears to be in the driving seat to earn a fifth Champions League spot bar a series of poor quarter-final results.
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Co-efficient points are earned when teams win, draw or progress through each competition. All points won by clubs in each nation are compiled before being divided by the number of teams from that country in Europe.
Italy, Spain and Germany are the counties competing with England to earn an additional qualification spot. Before this week, Italy and Germany led the rankings but both now have fewer teams remaining in European competition than England.
West Ham impressed in the Europa League on Thursday night (CameraSport via Getty Images)The news could also come as a boost to mid-table sides Chelsea and Newcastle as the extra place could see teams as low as eighth earn a place in Europe next term. The Blues are four points behind Brighton who currently hold the position and have a game in hand, despite currently sitting in 11th position in the Premier League.
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