Champions League race will go 'all the way' - but who will prevail?

Nottingham Forest have won just one of their past five Premier League matches

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has said the race to secure a Champions League place will go "all the way" this season.

After their top-five hopes suffered a blow in a defeat by Brentford on Thursday, Forest dropped more points on Monday in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace.

Forest failed to move level on points with Newcastle and Chelsea - in fourth and fifth respectively - but Nuno is confident his side can catch up.

"There's nobody that's out. It's for sure [going to go] all the way," Nuno told Sky Sports.

A top-five finish remains in Forest's hands with favourable fixtures against relegated Leicester and 17th-placed West Ham before a potentially decisive meeting with Chelsea at the City Ground on 25 May.

"This last few games are going to be like this. Nervous games, tight games, everybody is fighting for something," Nuno added on BBC Match of the Day.

"It's up to us to react and read the moments of the game better, and make better decisions playing with all this noise around us so the boys can settle down again and play."

However, Opta are less positive on Forest's prospects, with the stats experts predicting Newcastle and Chelsea will finish above Nuno's team, while Arsenal and Manchester City are expected to occupy second and third.

Just four points separate Manchester City in third place from Aston Villa in seventh, with the Premier League's top five guaranteed a spot in the Champions League next season.

There will be at least eight Premier league teams competing in Europe next season - up from the usual seven - but things could change in the final weeks of the campaign.

Twelfth-placed Crystal Palace, who beat Villa in the FA Cup semi-finals last weekend, could still end up qualifying for Europe by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final this month.

BBC Sport looks at how many teams could qualify for each of the continental competitions: the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.

Who do the contenders have left to play?

Liverpool: Arsenal (H); Brighton (A); Crystal Palace (H)

Arsenal: Liverpool (A); Newcastle (H); Southampton (A)

Newcastle: Chelsea (H); Arsenal (A); Everton (H)

Nottingham Forest: Leicester (H); West Ham (A); Chelsea (H)

Manchester City: Southampton (A); Bournemouth (H); Fulham (A)

Chelsea: Newcastle (A); Manchester United (H); Nottingham Forest (A)

Aston Villa: Bournemouth (A); Tottenham (H); Manchester United (A)

Bournemouth: Aston Villa (H); Manchester City (A); Leicester (H)

Brentford: Ipswich (A); Fulham (H); Wolves (A)

Brighton: Wolves (A); Liverpool (H); Tottenham (A)

Fulham: Everton (H); Brentford (A); Manchester City (H)

How many teams could qualify for the Champions League?

Depending on how things pan out this season, there will be between eight and 11 teams from the Premier League taking part in Europe next season.

At least five of those will be in the Champions League because of England's improved performance in Uefa's coefficient rankings.

That number could rise to six should Arsenal win the Champions League and finish outside the top five - an unlikely prospect - or even seven if that happens and Manchester United or Tottenham win the Europa League.

Man Utd and Spurs both stole a march on their opponents in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final ties, beating Athletic Club 3-0 and Bodo/Glimt 3-1 respectively.

How many teams could qualify for the Europa League?

The maximum of three Premier League teams could be competing in the Europa League next season.

Two places will likely go to the team who finish sixth and the FA Cup winners.

However, if the cup winners have already secured a European place, it will then go to the next highest placed side who have not qualified for Europe.

A third place could be awarded if Chelsea win the Conference League and fail to qualify for the Champions League.

The Blues' hopes of lifting that trophy were boosted on Thursday thanks to a 4-1 win at Djurgarden in the first-leg of their semi-final.

What about the Conference League?

There will be one Conference League place awarded to a Premier League team.

As things stand that will go to Carabao Cup winners Newcastle, but that could change if Eddie Howe's side qualify for the Champions League or the Europa League.

As Newcastle currently sit inside the top four, that looks likely.

Even a ninth or 10th-place finish could realistically be enough to secure a spot in next season's Conference League.

How could 11 English teams be in Europe?

This could still happen, but it is highly improbable.

It would require Arsenal to win the Champions League, Manchester United or Tottenham to win the Europa League and Chelsea to lift the Conference League trophy, and all three winners to finish outside the top six.

Arsenal are second in the Premier League and unlikely to finish outside the top five.