Could all six English clubs qualify for Champions League knockouts after latest wobble? | OneFootball

The continent’s top teams are now past the halfway stage of the 2025/26 Champions League league phase, with each of the 36 clubs involved having played five of their eight matches ahead of the knockout rounds starting in February.

The competition has already seen some blockbuster matches as some of the continent’s top sides have faced off – with Chelsea securing a famous win over Barcelona and Arsenal dominating Bayern Munich – and the race for the automatic qualification places is beginning to heat up.

The teams who finish in the top eight in the table will qualify for the knockout rounds automatically, with those sides in ninth to 24th facing off in play-off ties in order to qualify for the knockout rounds proper. The competition for places is already close, with only four points separating sixth-placed Dortmund and Union SG in 25th.

Premier League clubs dominated the early matches in the league phase – with Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool and Newcastle United all previously occupying places in the top eight – and though the Blues continued that trend with the win over Barcelona, recent losses for City, Newcastle and Liverpool mean that some of the English clubs need to start picking up wins if they want to ensure automatic qualification.

So, with four matches left and each club facing drastically different schedules, could each Premier League side finish in the top eight automatic qualification places?

Arsenal

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The Gunners moved top of the table with the win over Bayern (Getty Images)

Arsenal marked themselves out as the best side on the continent with a superb win over Bayern Munich this week. with Mikel Arteta’s men boasting a 100 per cent record and just one goal conceded after five matches.

The Gunners have got past their toughest test with flying colours, and the dominant nature of their performances has marked them out as the present favourites to win the competition.

With the Gunners now three points ahead of second-placed PSG with three games left to play, it would take an unprecedented dip in form for Arsenal to drop out of the top eight, especially considering two of their remaining matches come against Club Brugge and Kazakh minnows FC Kairat.

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Liverpool's surprise loss to PSV continued a dire run of form (Getty Images)

Despite a rocky patch in recent weeks, Liverpool have managed to save their best form for Europe, with Arne Slot’s side having beaten both Atletico and Real Madrid so far in 2025/26. However, an unprecedented 4-1 loss to PSV at Anfield this week means the Reds slip to 13th in the table, though they’re just one point off eighth.

Slot’s side still have to play Inter Milan as they look to secure a place in the top eight, and they likely won’t head into that match as favourites based on current form, while the away match against an in-form Marseille also looks difficult. However, with the final match coming at home against Qarabag, Arne Slot will be confident of at least making the play-offs, and win over Inter or Marseille puts them in the driving seat for the top eight.

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City had a blip against Leverkusen, but they are still in control of their own destiny (Getty Images)

Manchester City’s loss to Bayer Leverkusen this week is another blip on their European record after the away draw to AS Monaco, with Pep Guardiola admitting that he made too many changes with just three matches left of the league phase.

Easy wins over Napoli, Villarreal and Borussia Dortmund mean that the Cityzens sit in ninth in the table with 10 points, though the next match comes on 10 December away to Real Madrid – lose that and there may be some worry setting in at the Etihad.

Nevertheless, with Galatasaray and Bodo/Glimt to come after Los Blancos, City are almost certain of earning a place in the top 24, and they can still be confident of securing a spot in the automatic qualification places too, with 16 points the supposed ‘target’ for making the top eight.

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A famous win over Barcelona means Chelsea made a huge step towards automatic qualification (Getty Images)

With five matches played, Chelsea sit in seventh in the league phase table, though they’re level on points with those sides fighting to get into the top eight.

Positive results against Ajax and Benfica were sandwiched between a disappointing loss to Bayern Munich and a sloppy draw to Qarabag, but the Blues exploded into life this week with a superb win over Barcelona.

That win means that Enzo Maresca’a side have taken a huge step towards finishing in the top eight, and they have almost certainly secured a place in the the top 24 to guarantee a knockout round play-off tie. With matches against Atalanta and Pafos to come before a potentially tricky fixture away to Napoli to finish the campaign, the Blues are very well placed to finish in the automatic qualification places, barring a surprising dip in form.

Tottenham

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Spurs' loss to PSG puts them 16th in the table (Getty Images)

Tottenham Hotspur’s campaign started with a whimper with a narrow win over Villarreal followed by draws to Bodo/Glimt and Monaco, and though some it sprung into life with the 4-0 win over an admittedly poor Copenhagen side, the 5-3 loss to PSG this week has sent the Lilywhites back into 16th in the table, though only two points behind the teams around eighth.

That result leaves Thomas Frank’s side in need of wins if they want to stay in the top 24, though they have a winnable home fixture against Slavia Praha and a more difficult match against German giants Borussia Dortmund before they finish with an away fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt. Any losses could pile the pressure on Spurs, and they’ll need to wrap up that result against Slavia to put a foot in the play-offs.

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Newcastle need to avoid defeat to Leverkusen to stay within touching distance of the top eight (Getty Images)

Despite mixed form that has seen them struggle at times domestically, Newcastle were flying high in Europe, losing just one match – at home to Barcelona – before winning three on the bounce to rise up to sixth in the league phase table.

However, that run changed this week as a Nick Pope mistake saw them suffer a 2-1 loss to Marseille in their fifth match of the campaign, with the Magpies now sitting in 11th.

While convincing wins over Union Saint-Gilloise, Benfica and Athletic Bilbao provide a reminder that the Magpies are one of the continent’s most difficult sides to play on their day, they have difficult fixtures against Leverkusen and PSV next up, before a potentially huge final match away to PSG.

It could come to pass that the Magpies’ home form defines their campaign, and with the Leverkusen and PSG games both away, Eddie Howe’s side need to secure a win at home to PSV if they are to keep up their hunt for the top eight. However, the tie away to Leverkusen on 10 December is the biggest game so far – win that and they’ll be in a great position ahead of the final matches.