Chelsea win 'important' in Champions League race - but who will prevail?

Enzo Maresca has overseen 31 victories in 52 matches since taking charge of Chelsea last summer

Enzo Maresca said beating Liverpool was "important" but insisted Chelsea's battle to secure a Champions League place "is not done".

Chelsea made it three Premier League wins on the bounce and extended their unbeaten run to six with a 3-1 victory against the newly-crowned champions at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

With fourth-placed Newcastle held to a 1-1 draw at Brighton earlier in the day, it means Chelsea, who sit fifth, have moved level on points with the Magpies with three games left to play.

Chelsea host Swedish club Djurgarden in the second-leg of their Conference League semi-final on Thursday with a 4-1 aggregate advantage to defend.

"The win has been important, but it is not done. We need to play three games and go game by game," Maresca told BBC Match of the Day.

"Now on Thursday we have the second leg - we need to be focused on that and try to reach the European final."

Just four points separate Manchester City in third from Aston Villa in seventh, but sixth-placed Nottingham Forest still have a game in hand.

The Premier League's top five are all guaranteed a spot in the Champions League next season.

Newcastle had the opportunity to climb up to third with a win at Brighton but they had to settle for a draw with Alexander Isak's 89th-minute penalty earning a share of the points.

The Carabao Cup winners remain fourth with games against Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton left to play.

"It's all to play for. We have three huge games, three very tough games in different ways. Two of them are at home and we hope that can make the difference," Newcastle boss Eddie Howe told Sky Sports.

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 via the league or by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final later 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: Crystal Palace (A); 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)

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

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

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

Crystal Palace: Nottingham Forest (H); Tottenham (A); Wolves (H); Liverpool (A)

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.