Premier League, WSL, EFL, Scottish football: Ups, downs & European qualification (2025)

Published

6 April 2025

1 June - Oldham promoted to League Two

26 May - AFC Wimbledon promoted to League One

26 May - Ross County relegated to Scottish Championship

26 May - Livingston promoted to Scottish Premiership

25 May - Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle qualify for Champions League

25 May - Aston Villa qualify for Europa League

25 May - Nottingham Forest qualify for Conference League

25 May - Charlton promoted to Championship

Liverpool clinched the Premier League title on 27 April with a 5-1 win over Tottenham at Anfield.

The top five teams - Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle United - are guaranteed qualification for the league phase of the Champions League, with Arsenal's win over Real Madrid on 8 April making certain that England will be one of the two associations with the highest Uefa coefficients for 2024-25, and clinching a fifth place in addition to the usual four.

As winners of the Europa League, Tottenham Hotspur qualify for the league phase of the Champions League as an additional (sixth) English team, regardless of their Premier League finishing position.

Sixth-placed Aston Villa will qualify for the league phase of the Europa League, along with FA Cup winners Crystal Palace.

Newcastle's victory in the Carabao Cup final earned them a place in the Conference League play-off round. But as they qualified for the Champions League by their league position, that Conference League spot reverts to the league and goes to seventh-placed Nottingham Forest.

The bottom three teams are relegated to the Championship. Southampton became the earliest team to be relegated (in terms of games) in Premier League history when they lost 3-1 at Tottenham on 6 April. They were joined by Leicester City on 20 April after their 1-0 defeat by Liverpool, and Ipswich Town on 26 April after a 3-0 loss at Newcastle.

Chelsea clinched their sixth successive WSL title by beating Manchester United 1-0 on 30 April.

They will enter the league phase of the Champions League, runners-up Arsenal entering at the second round and third-placed Manchester United in the first round.

Bottom side Crystal Palace will be relegated to the Women's Championship, which was confirmed on 27 April when they lost 7-1 to West Ham. They will be replaced by Championship winners London City Lionesses.

Leeds United and Burnley both clinched automatic promotion to the Premier League on 21 April when the Clarets beat Sheffield United 2-1. Leeds secured the title on the final day of the season with a 2-1 win at Plymouth.

Sunderland won the play-off final for the third promotion place, beating Sheffield United 2-1 on 24 May.

The bottom three teams are relegated to League One. Cardiff City's relegation was confirmed on 26 April by a goalless draw with West Brom, while on the final day of the season Plymouth Argyle joined them after losing 2-1 to Leeds, as did Luton Town after losing 5-3 at West Brom.

Birmingham City became the first team in England's top five divisions to be promoted when they won 2-1 at Peterborough on 8 April, and clinched the title without kicking a ball four days later as Wrexham drew 0-0 at Wigan. Wrexham made sure of the second automatic promotion place on 26 April when they beat Charlton 3-0.

Charlton Athletic clinched the third promotion place by beating Leyton Orient 1-0 in the play-off final on 25 May.

The bottom four teams are relegated to League Two. Shrewsbury Town's relegation was confirmed on 18 April because of Burton's 0-0 draw at Exeter, Cambridge United joined them on 26 April after losing 2-1 at Burton, while Burton then sent both Bristol Rovers and Crawley Town down by drawing 1-1 with Wigan on 29 April.

Doncaster Rovers and Port Vale were automatically promoted to League One on 26 April, as Rovers beat Bradford 2-1 and Vale won 2-0 at AFC Wimbledon. Doncaster secured the title with a 2-0 win at Notts County on the final day of the season, when Bradford City claimed the third automatic promotion place by beating Fleetwood 1-0.

In the play-off final for the last promotion place, AFC Wimbledon beat Walsall 1-0 on 26 May.

The bottom two teams are relegated to the National League. Morecambe's relegation was confirmed on 21 April as they lost 3-1 to Salford, while Carlisle United's stay in the EFL was ended on 26 April as they lost 3-2 at Cheltenham.

Barnet clinched the title and the sole automatic promotion place with a game to spare on 26 April as they beat Aldershot 4-0. In the play-off final for the second promotion spot, Oldham Athletic beat Southend 3-2 on 1 June.

The bottom four teams are relegated to National League North or South, and will be replaced by the champions and play-off winners of those two divisions.

Ebbsfleet United became the first team in England's top five tiers to be relegated after drawing 3-3 with Aldershot on 22 March, and AFC Fylde joined them on 18 April after losing 1-0 to Halifax. The final two relegation places were filled on the final day of the season by Maidenhead United, despite their 3-0 win over Boston, and Dagenham & Redbridge, who drew 1-1 at Solihull Moors.

Brackley Town secured the National League North title and Truro City won the National League South title on 26 April. In the play-off finals on 18 May, Boreham Wood won the South final, while Scunthorpe United won the North final.

Celtic clinched the Premiership title on 26 April with a 5-0 win against Dundee United. They will enter the Champions League play-off round, with runners-up Rangers entering in the second qualifying round.

Scottish Cup winners Aberdeen will enter the Europa League at the play-off round. Third-placed Hibernian will enter at the second qualifying round, and fourth-placed Dundee United will enter the Conference League at the second qualifying round.

Bottom club St Johnstone were relegated to the Scottish Championship after losing 2-1 at Hearts on 14 May, while 11th-placed Ross County joined them after losing the play-off final to Livingston on 26 May.

Champions Falkirk are promoted to the Scottish Premiership, having secured the title on 2 May with a final-day 3-1 win over Hamilton. They will be joined by play-off winners Livingston, who defeated Premiership side Ross County in the play-off final on 26 May.

Bottom club Hamilton Academical were deducted 15 points on 17 April for a breach of SPFL rules, and their relegation to Scottish League One was confirmed two days later after a 0-0 draw with Queen's Park. The Accies lost a subsequent appeal against the deduction, and will be the only team relegated after ninth-placed Airdrieonians won a play-off involving three League One teams.

Arbroath were promoted to the Scottish Championship after beating Stranraer 4-0 on 12 April to clinch the title. They will be the only team promoted this term after ninth-placed Championship side Airdrieonians won the play-offs.

Bottom club Dumbarton are relegated to Scottish League Two. They became the first SPFL team to be relegated after on 22 March. Ninth-placed Annan Athletic went down on 16 May after losing the play-off final to League Two side East Fife.

Peterhead clinched the title and automatic promotion to Scottish League One by beating East Fife 1-0 on 26 April. Meanwhile, East Fife were promoted on 16 May after beating League One side Annan in the play-off final.

Bottom side Bonnyrigg Rose were relegated to the Lowland League after losing the pyramid play-off final to Lowland champions East Kilbride, who replace them in League Two for 2025-26.

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