Chelsea's Champions League hopes hang in balance as Arsenal and Liverpool truth revealed

Champions League football seems a very distant possibility for Chelsea this season. The Blues currently sit tenth in the Premier League table after a difficult start to life under Mauricio Pochettino.

With 13 games left of the campaign, Chelsea sit 14 points behind Aston Villa in fourth. However, next season's Champions League could see five teams from England participate due to a revamp of the competition.

36 teams will take part in the new format, four more than the current amount. Two of thefour extra spots will be given to the leagues that have performed best across all three European competitions — Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.

The reward of the extra spots will be decided by coefficient points, which can be awarded for wins and draws, effectively making it a competition between leagues.

This season, England started with eight teams in European football — four in the Champions League, three in the Europa League and one in the Europa Conference League. Now, that number is down to six after Manchester United and Newcastle bowed out at the group stages.

Having more teams doesn't necessarily boost a league's ranking as the points are based on averages.The new 'Swiss league' style of the Champions League will allow for an additional place for two countries whose clubs perform best across all competitions.

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Pochettino's men are only 12 points behind Tottenham in fifth, the possible final spot for Champions League qualification. However, Italy and Germany currently lead the way for the two additional spots after last