Aston Villa were dealt a blow in their hopes of finishing in the automatic Champions League knockout qualification spots on Tuesday night when falling to a 1-0 defeat at AS Monaco.

Wilfried Singo's early strike condemned Unai Emery's men to only their second defeat in the competition's league phase though the process for progression is tightly contested. By end of play on Wednesday Villa could drop out of the top eight required to avoid the play-off round, with a final match against Celtic coming next week.

In a series of dominos, finishing in the automatic spots increases the chances of going deeper into the knockout stages with a favourable draw, at least on paper. Advancing further means reaching the final, and winning that final is the most surefire way for a team to secure their place in next season's Champions League.

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That is of course Villa's main ambition this season. They can also do so via the Premier League, though unlike last season it is turning out to be another battle between multiple clubs for the top four spaces.

So talk of an additional qualifying spot being awarded to the English top-flight will pique the interests of those around Villa Park as well as multiple grounds up and down the country. Here, Birmingham Live explains how this would work...

How does it work?

UEFA will award an additional Champions League qualification opportunity to only two of their member nations per season. Last time it was Germany and Italy, now England are striving to be part of the lucky duo.

This is done based on the collective performances of every single club representing a country in European competition that season. So, that does not only mean Villa, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City in the top bracket, but also Europa League competitors Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, plus Chelsea in the Conference League.

More coefficient points are earned for the highest finishers in the league phase of each UEFA competition this season. In the Champions League this ranges from 12 in top spot - which is Liverpool currently - and six for anyone finishing 25th or lower.

The two leagues with the best average coefficient score for that single term are handed an extra spot each. Coefficient points are awarded to a club for their on-field performance - two for a win, one for a draw and nothing for a defeat.

Between them all the total is gathered then divided by the number of clubs involved from that single country. For example, in 2023/24 the Premier League had eight representatives and finished third with a coefficient score of 17.375.

The additional qualifying space is inserted into the domestic league at the highest available point, meaning in the Premier League the team finishing fifth benefits. The knock-on effect is the threshold to reach the Europa League and Conference League dropping one place lower too.

Which nations will get them in 2024/25?

Nothing is decided yet but once the current phase of the Champions League and Europa League both come to and end, a clearly picture should be painted.

The Conference League's league phase concluded in December and as Chelsea finished top with six wins, they earned maximum points for the collective cause. Here is how the 2024/25 table currently looks:

1. England - 14.035
2. Italy - 12.562
3. Portugal - 12.450
4. Belgium - 11.900
5. Spain - 11.892
6. Germany - 10.640
7. France - 9.928
8. Sweden - 9.375
9. Czechia - 8.700
10. Cyprus - 8.687

To boost English confidence, Opta currently predict a 97.8 percent chance one of the extra spots will be handed to the Premier League this season.

When can confirmation be expected?

Again, nothing is determined. There is no definitive date set for this matter to be settled.

In 2023/24 the Serie A mathematically earned their reward on April 18, 2024 - during the competition's quarter finals in its old format. The Bundesliga soon followed on May 1, 2024, once the semi-finals had started.

Premier League battle for fifth

With many teams eyeing fifth place in the English top-flight, this is how the table looks with 22 out of 38 matches played:

5. Manchester City - 38 points, 15 GD

6. Newcastle United - 38 points, 12 GD

7. Bournemouth - 37 points, 10 GD

8. Aston Villa - 36 points, -1 GD

9. Brighton - 34 points, 5 GD

10. Fulham - 33 points, 4 GD

In the past, a nation could only have a maximum of five clubs competing in the Champions League. Importantly for Villa that rule has been waived and now there is no cap.

That means as many seven teams could qualify for 2025/26. The top four, fifth through league performance in Europe, plus the winners of the UCL and the UEL.