How FA Cup final & Chelsea will impact Premier League European places for Newcastle United & co

Newcastle would have qualified for the Conference League after finishing seventh in the Premier League last season had Manchester City beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final last May.

As it happened, Manchester United won and qualified for the Europa League as a result, denying Newcastle a European spot.

This season is different for The Magpies with European football next season already guaranteed through their Carabao Cup win last month. Winning the Carabao Cup grants a Conference League qualification spot if the club hasn’t already qualified for Europe based on league position alone.

But Newcastle are on course to do that as they sit third in the Premier League table with four games remaining. Eddie Howe’s side have Champions League qualification ambitions which will be achieved if they finish fifth in the Premier League.

Sixth place will be granted a Europa League spot while the places below that are not yet certain. This is where the FA Cup final comes into question on May 17 between Crystal Palace and Manchester City.

How the FA Cup can impact Premier League European places

Manchester City are likely to qualify for Europe based on league position alone, meaning an FA Cup win for them would likely award another Europa League spot to the next highest ranked side in the Premier League.

In previous years, the FA Cup finalists would qualify for Europe if they were up against a side who had already qualified - regardless of whether they won or lost the final. But that rule has changed so that only the FA Cup winners qualify for Europe and if they have already qualified based on league position then their spot goes to the next highest ranked Premier League side rather than the beaten finalists.

Crystal Palace can’t finish in the Europa League or Champions League places in the Premier League but would qualify for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup. That would mean no additional Europa League place would be granted to the Premier League.

Here is the full breakdown of possible European qualification outcomes...

In all instances, the top five clubs in the Premier League will qualify for the Champions League, and sixth place will qualify for the Europa League. The top seven places in the Premier League are effectively closed off, with Newcastle and Man City 11 and 10 points ahead of Fulham in eighth, respectively with four games to play.

But here’s how the final two European qualification places in the Premier League could be decided...

How will seventh place qualify for the Europa League?

• Manchester City win the FA Cup

How will seventh place qualify for the Conference League?

• Crystal Palace win the FA Cup
• Chelsea don’t win the Conference League

How will eighth place qualify for the Conference League?

• Manchester City win the FA Cup
• Chelsea finish in the top six

OR

• Manchester City win the FA Cup
• Chelsea finish seventh and fail to win the Conference League

How will eighth place qualify for the Europa League?

• Manchester City win the FA Cup
• Chelsea win the Conference League
• Chelsea finish seventh

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