SUNDERLAND’S 3-1 win at Everton on Sunday means they will head into their final game of the season with hopes of qualifying for Europe still very much alive.
What are the various permutations ahead of the final weekend – and what do Sunderland have to do to secure European football for only the second time in their history?
HOW MANY ENGLISH TEAMS QUALIFY FOR EUROPE?
Eight. It could be nine if Crystal Palace win the Conference League final as their league position outside the European qualifying spots means they would claim an extra spot in the Europa League as Conference League winners.
That doesn’t affect Sunderland though as even in that scenario, eight teams would still qualify for Europe via their league position. The top five finishers will qualify for the Champions League, the sides finishing in sixth and seventh will claim a Europa League place and the team in eighth will head into the Conference League.
That would change slightly if Aston Villa were to win the Europa League and finish in fifth position. A quirk of the qualifying process means that would result in sixth place securing a Champions League place instead of a Europa League spot. Again, though, that wouldn’t affect Sunderland. The crucial thing for the Black Cats is that seventh definitely means Europa League and eighth will guarantee a Conference League spot. Ninth misses out whatever happens.
WHAT DO SUNDERLAND NEED TO DO?
Win. When it comes to their final-day game with Chelsea, Sunderland need to win at the Stadium of Light to have any realistic chance of securing a European spot.
A defeat would leave them at least a point adrift of the top eight. A draw would potentially move them level on points with Brentford, but it would need a ten-goal goal-difference swing to see them overtake the Bees. Brentford head to Anfield on the final day to face Liverpool, but they’re surely not going to lose by ten goals.
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If Sunderland beat Chelsea on the final day, then they are guaranteed to finish above the Blues regardless of what happens in Chelsea’s game in hand, which is against Tottenham tomorrow night.
And they will also finish above Brentford as long as Keith Andrews’ side do not win at Liverpool. So, a Sunderland win and a Brentford draw or defeat, and the Black Cats are guaranteed to leapfrog the Bees, finish in eighth position at worst and secure at least a place in the Conference League.
COULD THEY MAKE THE EUROPA LEAGUE?
Yes. Finishing eighth to claim a Conference League spot is the likeliest positive scenario for Sunderland, but there is still a chance that the Black Cats could finish seventh and end up in the Europa League.
For that to happen, Sunderland would have to win against Chelsea, Brentford would have to draw or lose at Liverpool and Brighton, who currently occupy seventh position, would have to lose their final game, which sees them host Manchester United at the Amex Stadium.
If those three results all happen, then Sunderland will finish seventh and compete in the Europa League next season.
WHERE WOULD SUNDERLAND ENTER THEIR EUROPEAN COMPETITION?
That depends. If Sunderland finish eighth and qualify for the Conference League, they would enter the competition at the play-off phase.
That means they would need to negotiate a two-legged play-off to make it into the group stage of the competition, with the play-off matches scheduled for August 20 and August 27.
If Sunderland finish seventh and qualify for the Europa League, they would not need to play a play-off game as they would automatically secure a place in the league phase of the competition, with matches scheduled to start in the week of September 16-17.
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