Manchester City are set to lock horns with Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on May 17 at Wembley Stadium.
Apart from the usual intensity of a final, the upcoming match has a lot at stake for both sides, as claiming the FA Cup title is their only shot at silverware for the season.
With an underwhelming season at hand, Man City look to win the FA Cup and a top-five finish in the Premier League to ensure a place in the Champions League next season.
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, have the chance to win their first prominent trophy this century along with a spot in the Europa League for the upcoming campaign.
However, the FA Cup final does not just decide the fate of Manchester City and Crystal Palace.
Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton, and Fulham will also be eagerly awaiting the results of the FA Cup final to evaluate their hopes for a European tour next season.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
How does the FA Cup final affect other Premier League clubs?
The race to book in spot in either of the European competitions is not a simple one, especially with the wide range of permutations and combinations of factors that determine the qualifications.
According to the regulations this season, the top eight teams in the Premier League can secure a place in Europe, with five Champions League spots, two Europa League spots, and a Europa Conference League spot.
While the winner of FA Cup also qualifies for next season’s Europa League. If Crystal Palace come out on top, they’ll book a spot in next season’s Europa League.
But if Manchester City win instead, then the team that ends the Premier League season in eighth place will qualify for Europe — thanks to City already locking in a European place (with their current position in the league). Right now, that eighth spot belongs to Brentford.
This time, the odds might differ depending on fourth-place Man City’s and 12th-place Crystal Palace’s chances in the FA Cup final. This situation has Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth, and Fulham on standby and eagerly waiting for the results on Saturday to know what lies ahead for them in the next season.
Brentford and Brighton stand eighth and ninth, respectively, in the league table with 55 points each. Bournemouth rank 10th with 53 points, and Fulham are 11th with 51 points. With two more Premier League matches remaining for the season, the race for a spot in Europe will go on till the last game of the campaign.
It remains to be seen what happens in the FA Cup final and how it will affect the Premier League club’s next season.
Manchester City news and related links
