What’s happening? Liverpool may need to play a playoff to secure a UEFA Champions League spot under these two conditions.
On 20 May 2026 GMT+7, two conditions were revealed under which Liverpool and Bournemouth would have to contest a playoff to claim a UEFA Champions League spot next season, as they still battle for the final qualification place heading into the last matchday of the 2025-26 Premier League season.
Bournemouth drew 1-1 with Manchester City, keeping them in 6th place, 3 points behind 5th-placed Liverpool—the last team currently qualifying for the UCL—with a chance to overtake them based on goal difference.
1. Arsenal (37 matches) 82 points *Qualified for UCL
2. Manchester City (37 matches) 78 points *Qualified for UCL
3. Manchester United (37 matches) 68 points *Qualified for UCL
4. Aston Villa (37 matches) 62 points *Qualified for UCL
5. Liverpool (37 matches) 59 points
6. Bournemouth (37 matches) 56 points
Liverpool still has a chance to finish 4th if they beat Brentford and Aston Villa lose to Manchester City.
However, the Reds could drop to 6th and miss out on the UCL spot if they lose to Brentford and Bournemouth beats Nottingham Forest, surpassing Liverpool on goal difference.
- Liverpool: 59 points (62 goals scored, 52 conceded, goal difference +10)
- Bournemouth: 56 points (57 goals scored, 53 conceded, goal difference +4)
For Bournemouth to overtake Liverpool, the combined goal difference margin from both teams’ results must be at least 7 goals.
- For example, Liverpool loses 0-3 to Brentford while Bournemouth wins 4-0 over Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool and Bournemouth may have to play a playoff match for the UCL spot if all tie-breakers—points, goal difference, and head-to-head records—are equal at season’s end, as demonstrated by these two sample scenarios.
1. Liverpool loses 0-1 to Brentford.
2. Bournemouth beats Forest 5-0.
In head-to-head matches, both teams earned 3 points each (Liverpool won 4-2; Bournemouth won 3-2), and both scored 2 away goals in their visits. If the season ends with these exact ties, a playoff will be required to decide the UCL spot, according to Premier League rules.
