What new Europa League format would mean for Tottenham or Aston Villa after Champions League blow

The Premier League may now only have four teams competing in next season's Champions League amid the prospect of an additional English side taking their place at Europe's top table. As a new Champions League format will be introduced from the 2024/25 campaign onwards, four extra teams will participate in the competition.

Two of the positions will be given to the leagues that have performed best across all three of UEFA's club competitions this season in the European Performance Spots. Italy currently lead the way due to their coefficient ranking, thus leaving Germany in second and England in third to battle it out for the remaining spot.

However, the results in the quarter-finals of UEFA's three club competitions look to have swung things in Germany's favour. Following Arsenal and Man City's Champions League eliminations on Wednesday evening, Liverpool and West Ham could also potentially exit the Europa League on Thursday due to the results of their first leg ties.

Liverpool have a mountain to climb after losing 3-0 at home to Atalanta one week ago, with West Ham trailing 2-0 against newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen. Aston Villa may be the only English team who progress through to the semi-finals of UEFA competition providing of course they hold on to their one-goal lead against Lille heading into their game in France.

Given the results at the quarter-final stage so far, England's chances of securing a fifth Champions League place in 2024/25 are slim to say the least after Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund prevailed in their quarter-final clashes and Bayer Leverkusen are expected to do the same to strengthen Germany's position. That in turn could impact Tottenham's Champions League hopes amid the