How Arsenal and West Ham can guarantee Premier League clubs extra Champions League spot
Arsenal and West Ham United can guarantee a fifth Champions League spot for Premier League sides by dumping out their German rivals in the next fortnight.
Mikel Arteta ’s side face Bayern Munich and Harry Kane in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night, with Conference League winners West Ham taking on Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League last eight on Thursday evening.
And a double victory across two legs would create an unassailable lead for English clubs over their Bundesliga counterparts in the UEFA coefficient race. That would guarantee an extra Premier League spot for next season’s revamped Champions League.
The competition is expanding from 32 to 36 clubs - and the group stage has been scrapped for a "Swiss model" league - with two of the additional spots given to the domestic leagues with the two highest rankings.
The coefficient standings ahead of the quarter-finals sees Italy clear with a 17.714 average. Germany remain second on 16.357 but England are close behind on 16.250. Fourth-placed France, with an average of 14.750, and Spain in fifth on 14.437 are out of the running.
Manchester City, the reigning Champions League kings, and Aston Villa can help boost England’s chances too. But with Germany the biggest challenger, success for Arsenal and the Hammers is of far greater importance.
Bayern, whose domestic supremacy has loosened in a relatively nightmare season, and Leverkusen, who are romping to their first Bundesliga title under Xabi Alonso, are the only two Germany representatives left.
West Ham’s round of 16 win over Freiburg helped close the gap - and dumped another German side out of Europe.
The quarter-final scenario places Tottenham fans in an odd position of hoping their two
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