The clocks have gone forward, the Grand National is on and it's getting hotter.
That can only mean one thing: the Premier League run-in is almost upon us. With most sides gearing up for their final eight games, starting this weekend, the table is beginning to settle - but plenty of places are still up for grabs.
Whether it be in the Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference League, up to 12 teams will fancy themselves of playing on the continent next season. Manchester United and Newcastle are both eyeing returns to Europe's top competition, while the likes of Brighton and Brentford are dreaming of an opportunity in any continental tournament.
But with multiple factors at play, how does it all work?
Here, Mirror Football breaks down the race.
The overriding rules
- The winners of a European competition are awarded European football the following season
- One Premier League team can't be adversely affected by another's success in Europe that same season
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A maximum of five English teams can play in the Champions League each season
If a team wins the Champions League or the Europa League:
- They are guaranteed to play Champions League football the following season, regardless of where they finish in the Premier League.
If a team wins the Europa Conference League:
- They will play in the Europa League unless they finish in the top four. If so then they'd play in the Champions League alongside the three others.
Champions League
Let's start off with the main event: the Champions League. As Europe's premier competition, the top four teams in the Premier League receive direct qualification, with no need of a play-off round anymore.
Two of those appear to have already been decided, with Arsenal and Manchester City well clear of third-placed Newcastle and can focus on finishing top of the pile. Locked on 59 points after 29 games with the Magpies are Manchester United, who'd have happily taken fourth spot after a wretched start to life under Erik ten Hag.
But Tottenham, who've played one game more than both Newcastle and Man United, are three points behind and face each of their rivals in the space of five days later this month. Tottenham visit St James Park' on Sunday, April 23 before hosting United the following Thursday.
It's too early to simply rule it a three-horse race, though, as Aston Villa (47 points from 30 games) and Brighton (46 points from 28 games) are eyeing shock top-four finishes, but would be surely content by landing in the top six come 6pm on Sunday, May 28.
Then there's Liverpool, sat on 44 points with a game in hand on the above pair and desperate to avoid their first ever Europa League finish in a season in which Jurgen Klopp has been in charge for its entirety.
Have your say! Who'll finish in the top six? Give us your prediction in the comments section.
Europa League
Speaking of Europe's second-rate tournament, fifth place and the FA Cup winners are, as standard, put into the Europa League. However, if the FA Cup winner finishes inside the top four - potentially Man City or Brighton - and Man United (winners of the Carabao Cup) do too, then sixth place will be awarded the extra berth.
Brentford (43 points from 30 games) and Fulham (39 points from 29 games) will fancy their chances of making a late surge and hope fortune is on their side, while Chelsea (39 points, 30 games) just about remain in the battle. The Blues are still in the Champions League and could receive automatic qualification, despite finishing outside of the top four domestically - just as they did in 2012.
If it's Man United who finish fifth then the Europa League spots will belong to them and the FA Cup winners, with sixth place having to settle for the third edition of the Europa Conference League, a competition which brings its own complications.
Europa Conference League
If European qualification wasn't complex enough, UEFA decided to introduce the Europa Conference League ahead of 2021-22 season, with Roma crowned champions last May. This time around, West Ham are aiming to lift the trophy and book themselves a spot in the Europa League - despite facing relegation to the Championship domestically.
Yet, as it stands, Man United would be the team competing in the competition because of their Carabao Cup win - but that's only because their top five finish isn't guaranteed.
Would seventh be enough for Europe?
If Carabao Cup winners Man Utd and the winners of the FA Cup finish in the Premier League top six, yes. In that likely event, the top four teams would enter the Champions League, fifth and sixth would be in the Europa League and the seventh-placed team would allocated a spot in the Europa Conference League.
What are the permutations?
Let's run through the relevant scenarios. We'll leave out Chelsea winning the Champions League and finishing inside the top four, as well as Manchester City winning the Champions League and finishing outside of it, as each would make little difference and are extremely unlikely to happen.
Another shock outcome would be both Man United and Chelsea winning their respective European competitions and missing out on the top four. In this case, fourth place would only be enough for the Europa League, as only five teams from one federation and allowed in the Champions League.
If Chelsea win the Champions League, don't qualify via the league and Man United don't win the Europa League:
- Champions League: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and Chelsea as holders
- Europa League: 5th, FA Cup winners
- Europa Conference League: Man United
If Man United win the FA Cup and finish in the top four
- Champions League: Man United and the three other teams in the top four
- Europa League: 5th and 6th in the league
- Europa Conference League: 7th in the league
If Man United win the FA Cup and finish 5th or 6th
- Champions League: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th
- Europa League: Man United and the other team finishing in the top six but outside the top four
- Europa Conference League: 7th
If Man United win the FA Cup and finish 7th or below
- Champions League: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th
- Europa League: 5th, Man United
- Europa Conference League: 6th
The same principle applies if Man City win the FA Cup, with the allocated Europa League place for winning that competition going to the team in sixth. However, the above permutations don't take into account Man United winning the Europa League.
If Man United win the Europa League and finish in the top four:
- Champions League: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th
- Europa League: 5th, FA Cup winners
- Europa Conference League: 6th
If Man Utd win the Europa League and finish fifth:
- Champions League: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and Man United as Europa League holders
- Europa League: FA Cup winners
- Europa Conference League: 6th
If Man Utd win the Europa League and finish sixth:
- Champions League: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and Man United as Europa League holders
- Europa League: 5th, FA Cup winners
- Europa Conference League: No entrant
If United win the Europa League and finish seventh:
- Champions League: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and Man United as Europa League holders
- Europa League: 5th, FA Cup winners
- Europa Conference League: 6th
The above permutations don't take into account Man United winning the FA Cup.
If Brighton win the FA Cup and finish in the top four:
- Champions League: Brighton and the three other teams in the top four
- Europa League: 5th and 6th place
- Europa Conference League: 7th
