Chelsea's European aspirations soar after crucial win against Brighton

Chelsea supporters around the world let out a sigh of relief when the referee blew the full-time whistle after a lengthy extra time that felt unending for the Blues, as they came out victorious after a tense battle with Brighton.

The significance of this match is cosmic for Chelsea's race to qualify for European football, as they sit sixth - the highest position they have attained all season - after they triumphed over the Seagulls.

Heading into the final game of the rollercoaster year, Chelsea is poised for a spot in Europe, a possibility that seemed bleak at one point in the season, not so far ago.

In this article, we will explore how Mauricio Pochettino's side can qualify for the three European competitions that they are in the run-in for.

Europa League

Qualification for the Europa League remains a possibility for Chelsea, with two possibilities on how they could make it.

First would be a direct entry, requiring Chelsea to win their final match against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge and a defeat of Tottenham Hotspur to Sheffield United, which seems extremely unlikely.

Nevertheless, due to the unpredictable nature of the sport, it is not far-fetched to have hope that Sheffield pull off a remarkable upset against Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham, who are enduring a poor run of form.

A draw between the two sides will not help Chelsea's cause, as a point would separate the two London rivals. However, the Blues would rank fifth if Tottenham lost since Chelsea has the better goal difference.

Another route to Europa League qualification, considering that the league table remains the same after the penultimate game, will be through Manchester City, who will play Manchester United in the FA Cup final.

If the reigning Premier League champions lift the prestigious cup instead of the Reds, that would lead to sixth place, gaining automatic promotion to the Europa League. So, even if Chelsea remains sixth after the final day results, the Blues should qualify.

Considering the position Chelsea is in, qualification for the UEFA competition is a high possibility for which Pochettino's men must at least earn a draw to have a shot, as a defeat and a Newcastle win would bring Chelsea down to seventh.

Europa Conference League

With Chelsea in the driving seat, the Blues supporters should expect the club to qualify for the Europa League. However, if things do not go as planned, Chelsea can still qualify for the Europa Conference League from seventh place.

This would require City to do the North Londoners a favor by defeating United and pushing Conference League qualification to seventh place.

Considering that Chelsea was in 11th place just a few months back, it is quite extraordinary how a late bloom in form has pushed the club for an unexpected Europa League qualification.

If Pochettino manages to get the job done, he can make a strong case to the owners to extend his stay beyond the season's end, with the supporters and, most definitely, the players showing faith in him.

"It is very common to say, It is not only about the result, it is also about the process.
In my experience in Chelsea, it is about the result. You can overcome a short period of results that are missing. But it cannot be too long, otherwise, nobody trusts the process anymore."

- Thomas Tuchel

Europa League qualification will go a long way to helping Chelsea fans to trust Pochettino with the process, and right now, it looks like he deserves that trust.