The 2025/2026 UEFA Champions League season marks a key moment in European football history.
For the first time, a single country, England, has seen five clubs qualify for the UCL Round of 16.
This record participation is due to the tournament’s new, larger format that started last season.
The previous format, used for 21 seasons, had 32 teams in eight groups of four, with each team playing twice.
The change from a 32-team group stage to a 36-team single league phase has received praise for increasing the number of participants and creating a competitive environment where top teams face each other more often. This has heightened the stakes for qualification.
The qualification of Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester City for the UCL Round of 16 highlights the Premier League‘s dominance in Europe, with five of the six English teams successfully securing direct qualification.
Road to the UCL Round of 16: English Teams’ Performance
The English clubs performed exceptionally well in the league phase, demonstrating the strength of the Premier League in Europe.
Newcastle was the only club not to qualify automatically and will face Qarabag in the knockout phase play-offs.
The achievements of the English teams in reaching the UCL Round of 16 were particularly impressive.
Arsenal became the first club to win all eight league-phase matches since the tournament began, setting a record for the most clubs from a single country in the league phase.
This was possible because England secured an extra spot due to a high UEFA coefficient ranking, with Tottenham qualifying as the previous season’s UEFA Europa League winners.
Arsenal’s Perfect League Phase
The Gunners were the standout team in the league phase, finishing top of the 36-team standings with a perfect record of eight wins and no losses, collecting 24 points. They scored 23 goals while conceding only four, showcasing strong defense and attack.
Notable victories included a 4–0 win over Atletico Madrid, a 3-1 win at Inter Milan, and another 3-1 victory against Bayern Munich.
Manchester City Push Through to the Knockouts
Despite having a tough period domestically, the 2023 UCL champions secured the final automatic qualification spot in eighth place, tying on points with Chelsea, Barcelona, and Sporting Lisbon (16 points).
Their path to the UCL Round of 16 was challenging. Before their last league phase match, they were in 11th place and outside the qualification zone. In a pressure-filled must-win game against Galatasaray, Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki scored to send them through.
Liverpool’s Strong Performance in Europe
Arne Slot’s team has shown contrasting forms in domestic and European competition.
While struggling in the Premier League, sitting sixth, they excelled in Europe, finishing as the third-best team with a record of six wins and two losses, totaling 18 points.
They ended the League Phase with a remarkable 6-0 victory over Qarabag FK.