West Ham United’s quest for their first trophy in 43 years through the Europa Conference League could have significant implications for other Premier League clubs, specifically Liverpool, Brighton, and Aston Villa. West ham is 14th in the Premier League table and 16 points away from the top seven.
West Ham’s chances of qualifying for Europe next season via a league finish look unlikely. However, a victory in the Europa Conference League could secure their place in next season’s Europa League.
With ten wins out of ten in Europe this season, West Ham is the most valuable squad left in the competition and is the favorite to win the trophy. The London-based club drew 1-1 against Gent in the first leg of their quarter-final game and will face Anderlecht or AZ Alkmaar in the semi-finals if they progress.
Currently, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Brighton, and Liverpool are vying for the final two spots in next season’s Champions League, the two in the Europa League, and a qualification spot for the Europa Conference League. Arsenal and Manchester City will undoubtedly finish in the Champions League spots.
According to Premier League regulations, even if West Ham were to win the Europa Conference League, it would not impact West Ham’s chances of qualifying for next season’s F.A. Cup and Carabao Cup through the Premier League. However, participation in the Europa League group stages is assured for the winner of the Europa Conference League.
Consider a scenario in which a Premier League club wins the Europa Conference League without advancing through the Premier League or the F.A. Cup. In such an event, it will participate as an extra club in the Europa League group stages.
Therefore, if West Ham were to win the Europa Conference League, it would mean that England would have eight clubs across the three European club competitions, with the potential for one extra Premier League team to participate in the Europa League.
It could impact Liverpool, Brighton, and Aston Villa, who are currently vying for a spot in Europe next season. If West Ham were to win the Europa Conference League and secure their place, a team finishing sixth in the Premier League would be bumped down to the Europa Conference League.
It could be detrimental for teams like Liverpool, who have consistently competed in the Champions League in recent seasons and will want to avoid playing in the Europa Conference League. Therefore, while West Ham’s success in the Europa Conference League would be a historic achievement for the club, it could have significant ramifications for other Premier League teams and their European aspirations.