2023/24 Champions League qualification race: Aston Villa, Tottenham and Man Utd fixtures compared

Qualifying for the 2024/25 Champions League could prove to be a game-changer for some of England's biggest clubs.

While Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal are embroiled in a three-horse Premier League title race, the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United are further behind trying to secure the last spot in the top four.

There's every chance fifth position could be good enough to reach UEFA's flagship club competition as the number of participants increases from 32 to 36, though that still depends on teams' results on the continent from now until the end of the season.

Here are Aston Villa, Tottenham and Man Utd's fixtures final Premier League fixtures compared as each side tries to battle their way to Champions League qualification.

Aston Villa's remaining Premier League fixtures

Aston Villa's form in 2023/24 has shaken up the Champions League qualification race and Unai Emery's side look well set to secure a top-four position.

However, there's still plenty of time for things to go wrong at Villa Park. Emery's outfit still have to play five of the Premier League's big six before the campaign ends, starting with a potentially defining clash with Tottenham on Sunday 10 March.

A win in that game could prove crucial, given it's not yet certain that fifth place will be good enough for an extra Champions League spot.

With clashes against Arsenal, Chelsea, Brighton and Liverpool taking place in the last six gameweeks, Villa's Champions League hopes could go down to the wire.

Aston Villa's fixtures in other competitions

Unlike both Tottenham and Man Utd, Villa are also comPeting on the European front as they try to seal Champions League qualification.

The Villans have a Europa Conference League last-16 tie with Ajax to navigate but sit among the favourites to win UEFA's third-ranked club comPetition.

Tottenham's remaining Premier League fixtures

The resulting mess of a mass injury crisis earlier this term may well prove to be the difference between Tottenham securing Champions League football or ending up in a less prestigious competition.

Ange Postecoglou's Spurs were flying before a chaotic 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in early November when they suffered a number of fitness blows. Since then, results have been more inconsistent but they remain bang in the hunt for a top-four spot.

March's trip to Villa Park is a big one, having suffered three defeats on the trot to Emery's side, while a run from mid-April to early May that sees Spurs clash with Newcastle, Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool could severely damage their Champions League hopes.

That said, Postecoglou's side have pulled surprise wins out of the bag regularly in 2023/24, so don't be surprised if Tottenham are still in contention come the final day of the season.

Tottenham's fixtures in other competitions

After they failed to qualify for any European football last season and were knocked out of the FA Cup, Spurs only have Premier League fixtures to look forward to before the end of the campaign.

Man Utd's remaining Premier League fixtures

After an impressive start to 2024, life is quickly falling apart again for Erik ten Hag and Man Utd.

The 3-1 Manchester derby loss in early March saw the Red Devils slip six points behind Tottenham in fifth and 11 off Villa in fourth, leaving them in desperate need of a dramatic collapse from one of their rivals to pip a Champions League spot.

Having already played Tottenham and Villa twice in league action this campaign, Man Utd will have to concentrate on their own fixtures.

Their run-in is relatively kind, with matches against Everton, Brentford and Chelsea on the horizon. Title hopefuls Liverpool and Arsenal provide the sternest opposition in the final few months, but the final-day result at Brighton may also have a large bearing on Ten Hag's future as United manager.

Man Utd's fixtures in other competitions

Their limp performances in the Champions League meant Man Utd dropped out of Europe altogether, but there's still hope of silverware being brought back to new investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe before the season is out in the form of the FA Cup.

The Red Devils meet Liverpool in the quarter-finals at Old Trafford in mid-March. Defeat would keep their great rivals' quadruple hopes alive and kill any lingering dreams of cup glory for United in 2023/24.

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