Scramble for Europe explained

Five clubs are fighting for four places in Europe next season. BBC Sport Online's Andrew Benson picks his way through the maze of permutations.

Champions League race | Uefa Cup race

There is plenty to play for on the last day of the Premiership on Saturday even though Manchester United and Arsenal have already sewed up the top two positions.

Four out of the six places in next season's Champions League and Uefa Cup are still up for grabs - and the financial rewards of qualifying mean that the clubs in the frame will do everything they can to ensure success.

Liverpool, Leeds and Ipswich are competing for the remaining Champions League place.

The two who fail will be in the Uefa Cup instead - and the last place in that competition is still being disputed between Chelsea and Sunderland.

Below, BBC Sport Online guides you through the maze of permutations as the scramble for the lucrative places in Europe reaches its climax.

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Champions League

Manchester United and Arsenal are guaranteed places in Europe's premier cup competition next year. Liverpool, Leeds and Ipswich are competing for the last spot.

Liverpool are in the driving seat - they are a point clear and have a much superior goal difference to either of the other teams.

  Champions League battle

If Liverpool win, they take the last spot

If Liverpool draw, they will lose the spot if Leeds or Ipswich win

If Liverpool lose, Leeds or Ipswich must win to qualify

If Liverpool lose and Leeds and Ipswich both win, Leeds will take the last spot - unless Ipswich win by four goals more than Leeds

If Liverpool lose and Leeds and Ipswich draw, Liverpool will take the last Champions League spot

If Liverpool win at Charlton, they will earn the third Champions League spot which was their target at the beginning of the season.

It becomes more complicated if Liverpool lose or draw, but effectively Leeds and Ipswich have to win to have a chance.

If Liverpool draw, the others have to win to beat them.

If Liverpool lose, and their rivals draw, Gerard Houllier's men will almost certainly still finish third on goal difference - and take the last slot.

Liverpool have a nine-goal advantage over Leeds and 13 over Ipswich.

Liverpool, though, will lose their Champions League place to either Leeds or Ipswich if the Merseysiders lose and one of the other two wins.

Of the two lower-placed clubs, Leeds have the advantage as they have a goal difference that is superior to Ipswich's.

In other words, if Leeds and Ipswich both win, then Ipswich will have a winning margin of more than four goals more than Leeds if the East Anglian side is to succeed.

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Uefa Cup

Thanks to Liverpool's success in the FA Cup and Worthington Cups, the teams placed fourth, fifth and sixth in the Premiership will all qualify for the Uefa Cup.

  Uefa Cup

Whichever two of Liverpool, Leeds and Ipswich do not make the Champions League will qualify

If Chelsea win or draw, they will take the last spots

Only if Chelsea lose and Sunderland win, will Sunderland qualify

That means that the two teams who fail to make the Champions League will play in the Uefa Cup instead - joined by one of Chelsea or Sunderland.

Like Liverpool in the Champions League, Chelsea are in the driving seat for the last Uefa Cup spot.

They have a two-point advantage over Sunderland, which means that they only need to win or draw to guarantee the last qualifying spot for Europe.

If Chelsea lose, Sunderland need to win to nick the Uefa Cup spot. A draw would not be enough.

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