Will English clubs receive a fifth Champions League spot? UEFA coefficients explained

The Premier League's chances of receiving a fifth Champions League spot next season appear all but over with Aston Villa the sole remaining English side left in a European competition.

Ahead of next season's expanded Champions League, two bonus places would be awarded to the two best-performing associations from this season's UEFA competitions.

For a long time, it looked like England would overtake Italy, Spain and Germany and secure one of the two places through the gap in quality between the remaining clubs in the three competitions if nothing else.

Manchester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa were favourites to win their respective competitions, while England also had Arsenal and West Ham as representatives.

But the eliminations of Manchester City and Arsenal, coupled with the exits of Liverpool and West Ham in the Europa League, mean that England's chances of landing an additional Champions League berth appear increasingly slim.

Germany and Italy currently occupy the top two spots, and Atalanta's elimination of Liverpool has only served to strengthen Italy's position and weaken England's.

We look at how UEFA coefficients work and whether or not England could still receive a fifth Champions League spot for next season.

How UEFA coefficients work

The formula for calculating the points for each competition is quite simple, certainly in the latter stages of each tournament. While points are awarded throughout the group stage based on wins, draws and finishing positions, points are now just awarded on wins, draws and each round progressed.

Obviously it's now an advantage to have as many representatives as possible. While Italy have three representatives and are virtually assured of the extra Champions League place, Spain are down to one, and therefore are relying on Real Madrid accumulating enough points on their own to take one of the two spots.

The final extra Champions League place, therefore, looks set to be awarded to Germany, though England do still have an outside chance if results go in their favour.

Will England receive a fifth Champions League place?

The maximum coefficient score England can achieve this season is now 18.250; if Aston Villa win every game left in this season's competition up to and including the final (the most one team can receive is 10 points).

Liverpool, despite winning the second leg in Bergamo, were knocked out by Atalanta, while West Ham were unable to overturn their two-goal deficit against Bayer Leverkusen, which subsequently consolidates Germany's standing in the UEFA coefficient table.

Germany need just two points from their remaining clubs (which they'll automatically reach if any of Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich or Bayer Leverkusen reach their respective finals, or even by drawing two matches (or winning one) and being eliminated) in order to surpass England's maximum points tally, which would be accumulated by Aston Villa winning every remaining Conference League game.

Champions League coefficient points

From the group stage onwards, each win is worth two points and a draw is worth one point (a match going to a penalty shootout is classed as a draw and worth one point).

Each round a team progresses to earns another point. For example, Real Madrid earned two points for drawing with Manchester City and one point for progressing to the semi-finals.

Where it gets more complicated, is those points are divided by the number of teams each association has in the three UEFA competitions. In England and Spain's case, it's eight. So while Real Madrid earned three points, that only counts for 0.375 points (3 divided by 8) for Spain's coefficient.

Here's a full breakdown of UEFA Champions League coefficient points:

2 – All wins from group stage onwards
1 – All draws from group stage onwards
4 – Group stage bonus participation
4 – Round of 16 bonus participation
1 – Each round clubs reach from the round of 16

Europa League coefficient points

As with the Champions League, points are fairly straightforward to calculate throughout the knockout rounds. Two points are awarded for a win, one point is awarded for a draw, and a point is awarded for progressing through each round.

For example, Atalanta earned three points for knocking out Liverpool, which yields a total of 0.714 points.
Here's a full breakdown of UEFA Europa League coefficient points:

2 – All wins from group stage onwards (except knockout round play-offs)
1 – All draws from group stage onwards (except knockout round play-offs)
4 – Group winners
2 – Group runners-up
1 – Each round clubs reach from the round of 16

Conference League coefficient points

Similar to the other two competitions, points are quite straightforward for the knockouts, but clubs only receive a bonus point for reaching the semi-finals and final, as opposed to reaching the last 16 and quarter-final in the Champions League and Europa League.

1 – Awarded to each club eliminated in the first qualifying round
1.5 – Awarded to each club eliminated in the second qualifying round
2 – Awarded to each club eliminated in the third qualifying round
2.5 – Awarded to each club eliminated in the play-offs
2 – All wins from group stage onwards (except knockout round play-offs)
1 – All draws from group stage onwards (except knockout round play-offs)
2 – Group winners
1 – Group runners-up
1 – Each round clubs reach from the semi-finals