--- source: thedugout.football generated: 2026-06-09T17:26:14.384Z data_provider: API-Football canonical: https://thedugout.football/clubs/brighton/news/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlYXJndXMuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvMjYxMjYyMjYuYnJpZ2h0b24tbmVlZC1ldXJvcGVhbi1xdWFsaWZpY2F0aW9uLXNlYXNvbi8_cmVmPXJzcw --- # These are the final-day Euro permutations as Champions League door remains ajar - **Source:** - **Club:** Brighton - **Original URL:** https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/26126226.brighton-need-european-qualification-season/?ref=rss Brighton and Hove Albion FC Football Sport Albion’s door to the Champions League remains just about open going into the final day of the season. But they need four results to go their way, including their own, to make it happen. Albion host Manchester United on Sunday and could still end up in any of the three UEFA competitions or not in Europe at all. Aston Villa’s success in the Europa League final means, should they drop to fifth in the Prem, sixth place becomes a Champions League spot. Seventh is Europa League and eighth is Conference League. The chances of Villa dropping from fourth to fifth possibly receded when Manchester City’s push for the title ended at Bournemouth on Tuesday. That said, several teams with “nothing to play for” have been sufficiently driven to pull off good results of late. Villa will drop to fifth if they lose at the Etihad and Liverpool beat Brentford at Anfield. Albion, currently seventh, would then need to beat Manchester United and hope Bournemouth lose at Nottingham Forest. A win for the Seagulls confirms at least a Europa League spot, whatever happens elsewhere. But a draw or a defeat leaves them at the mercy of teams below them. Goal difference means they will be fine even if they lose as long as Brentford do not win at Anfield. The fact Sunderland and Chelsea play each other makes things a little more complex. A single-goal defeat for the Seagulls would keep them above both teams if it finishes as a draw on Wearside but they would slip below a winning team in that game. An Albion defeat by two or more goals would see Sunderland or Chelsea go past them and leave their Euro hopes relying on Brentford not winning. All matches on Sunday start at 4pm. Albion will match their best-ever finish of sixth if they win and Bournemouth lose. Sixth would also give them their best-ever pair of back-to-back seasons, given that they were eighth last term. That would eclipse their ninth in 2021-22 followed by sixth in 2022-23. Albion linked with right-back amid doubt over Veltman's future Dad jokes and football intelligence help Welbeck and Hinshelwood hit it off Bloom says players were in danger as he vows to come back stronger From Knockaert to fireworks, five things we enjoyed at Albion's new-look awards night Seventh would be their second-best finish and their best under one head coach for the whole campaign. Their worst possible finish is ninth, which would still be the joint third-best finish in their 125-year history and their fourth top-nine placing in five seasons. That is in line with the ambition they set out in 2019, a few weeks after avoiding relegation by two points, to become a regular top-half team. But ninth place, which led to end-of-term celebrations as recently as 2022, would leave a feel of disappointment around the Amex as 2025-26 draws to a close.