
A spot in the Premier League’s top five is likely already out of reach for Chelsea, but Aston Villa’s recent slump opens the door to an unconventional route to the Champions League.
If Villa finish fifth but manage to win the Europa League—they are 1–0 down from the semifinal first leg against Nottingham Forest—then the extra Champions League place will drop down to the team that finishes sixth. Chelsea still have work to do to get there but are only four points behind heading into Monday’s meeting with Forest.