Despite such a poor start to the Premier League campaign, Chelsea could finish the season in fifth place. The Blues will welcome Bournemouth to Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon, knowing a win could secure Europa League qualification.

Mauricio Pochettino's side will be determined to extend their winning streak this weekend following a 2-0 win over Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday night. While Chelsea stormed past the Seagulls, Reece James was given his marching orders in the dying embers of the clash.

Not only will he miss the west Londoners' final game of the season, but he'll also be sidelined for the first two games of next term. Nevertheless, Chelsea have climbed into sixth place thanks to Manchester United, who defeated Newcastle.

However, the Blues' place in Europe is yet to be confirmed. So, with that being said, football.london has looked at the different ways Chelsea can secure Europa League football.

Premier League

Italy and Germany have claimed the additional Champions League qualifying places, so only the top four in the Premier League will go into next season's revised competition. Aston Villa booked their place in the tournament, alongside Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, following Tottenham Hotspur's defeat to the reigning champions on Tuesday night.

Fifth place will qualify for next season's Europa League, with the team going straight into the new setup rather than playing any additional pre-qualifiers.

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FA Cup

While Chelsea aren't, of course, in the FA Cup final, the competition still throws the club a lifeline of some sort. The winners of the FA Cup will claim a place in the Europa League.

If the winners finish in the top five of the Premier League – and therefore qualify for the Champions League or Europa League through their league position – the Europa League spot will be passed down to the next-highest-ranked English top-flight outfit not competing in Europe.

Permutations

If Manchester United win the FA Cup then they qualify for the Europa League, with sixth place claiming the Europa Conference League. But, if Manchester City win the FA Cup then Europa League qualification will be awarded to team ranked fifth and sixth, while seventh place claims Europa Conference League.

Current Standings

Manchester United currently sit eighth on 57 points, while, Newcastle rank seventh on 57 points and Chelsea place sixth on 60 points. Every Premier League side will play their final game this Sunday.

Remaining Fixtures

Manchester United

Brighton (A) – Sunday, May 19

Newcastle United

Brentford (A) – Sunday, May 19

Chelsea

Bournemouth (H) – Sunday, May 19