Brentford on cusp of European qualification after remarkable season

Many predicted Brentford to go down. Instead they are on the cusp of European qualification. Over the summer Brentford lost their manager, captain and star forward. But who needs Thomas Frank, Christian Norgaard and Bryan Mbeumo when you have Keith Andrews, Igor Thiago and Dango Ouattara? The Bees are having one of their best seasons and, with three games to go, are sixth in the Premier League, a spot which could earn them a place in the Champions League. While the top five looks set, only four points separate Brentford and 12th-placed Sunderland. It looks like there will be more drama between now and the end of the season. A very specific permutation would allow Brentford - or whoever grabs sixth spot - to sneak into Europe's premier competition rather than the Europa League. The Premier League secured an extra Champions League place in April, meaning the top five will qualify for the league stage of next year's competition. Sixth would also get a team into next season's Champions League if Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth in the Premier League. Because of the order in which Champions League berths are decided - European titles are allocated before the Premier League's additional spot - sixth will not be good enough for the Champions League if Villa win the Europa League and finish in the top four. Instead, Villa will qualify via their league position and the place reserved for the Europa League winners will pass to the league champions in qualifying with the best Uefa coefficient. That could be Rangers if they win the Scottish Premiership. Brentford fans should keep an eye on Villa's Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest. Villa lost the first leg 1-0 but are at home for the second leg on Thursday. The winners will face Braga or Freiburg in the final on 20 May. Brentford manager Keith Andrews had never been in charge of a club before this season. Asked about his side's top-six chances, he told BBC Match of the Day: "It's tight. We've had a special season so far and I want us to continue that. We'll just keep pushing." Despite Newcastle being 13th - six points off Brentford - captain Bruno Guimaraes is still dreaming of continental football. "We are looking up, not down," he said after his side's 3-1 win over Brighton on Saturday. "We can still play European football next season. We must win the next three games." It is most likely that sixth will result in a Europa League berth and seventh a Conference League spot. As many as nine English teams could qualify for Europe next season. That would happen if Forest and Crystal Palace, who are both unlikely to finish in the top seven, win the Europa League and Conference League respectively. Whatever the outcome, the Premier League is set for a dramatic finish. Brentford are still to play Manchester City, Palace and Liverpool. They are a point above Brighton, who face Wolves, Leeds and Manchester United. Two points behind Brentford but with a game in hand are Bournemouth, who face Palace, Fulham, City and Forest. Chelsea have also played one game fewer than Brentford, are three points behind and have games against Forest, Liverpool, Tottenham and Sunderland.