There’s one English Premier League team remaining in European competitions, and its Aston Villa.
The Villans squeezed into the Europa Conference League semifinal following a 3-3 draw with French side Lille that ended in a penalty shootout victory for the Midlands club at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in northern France.
Advancing into the next round on Thursday meant Villa is England’s last chance at securing a fifth UEFA Champions League spot for next year when Europe’s top competition grows to 36 teams.
The fifth spot is determined by UEFA’s coefficient rankings that are currently led by Italy’s Serie A and Germany’s Bundesliga.
Unlike the Premier League, Serie A and Bundesliga have three teams each remaining in the three European competitions.
Going into the second leg fixtures, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham United remained in contention to reach a semifinal alongside Villa.
Source: Aston Villa is England’s only competitor in European competitions
