United pushed closer to the Europa League as City's cup triumph means top six will qualify... and that could soon be top seven!



It was the blue half of Manchester doing all the singing on Sunday as City defeated Sunderland in the Capital One Cup final.



And while Manchester United fans would have have been slightly glum at seeing their local rivals net an early season trophy – City’s first leg of a potential treble this term could in fact play a huge part in enabling the Red Devils' to reach Europe next term.



The victory guarantees City will be in Europe next season via the Europa League at the very worst.



In the bag: Manchester City defeated Sunderland 2-1 to win the Capital One Cup final

Helping hand: Samir Nasri's winning goal could hand a European spot to Manchester United, with City seemingly bound for the Champions League

No consolation: Unlike the FA Cup, the League Cup does not hand out European spots to its runners-up if the winners already reach the Champions League - denying Steven Fletcher and Sunderland a route to the Europa League

What has City's Cup win changed?

At the start of the season, the English association has three Europa League places - with the FA Cup winners, the fifth placed Premier League side and the League Cup winners all handed a spot. City winning the League Cup and expectant qualification for the Champions League means their spot will be handed to the sixth placed side in the Premier League. If the winner of the FA Cup final already qualifies for the Champions League, their Europa League spot is given to the runners-up. If the runners-up have already booked a passage into Europe, then the spot goes to the seventh placed Premier League side.



But with Manuel Pellegrini’s team near certainties to reach the Champions League, their Europa League spot is likely to be handed to a team that finishes sixth in the Premier League.



Manchester United’s league campaign sees them struggling to reach Europe next season, with the reigning champions seventh and 12 points off a Champions League spot.



They are also eight points behind fifth placed Tottenham who hold the only existing Europa League spot via the Premier League.

Seventh place could also be enough for a Europa League spot, providing the FA Cup finalists secure another way to qualify for Europe next term.

Should United reach the Europa League through City's triumph, they could face a fixture headache ahead of next season, with the lowest ranked side that qualifies for Europe in England having to enter the Europa League at the third qualifying round starting on July 31.





It would mean that to win the Europa League, Manchester United would have to play 19 games to lift the trophy in the final at the National Stadium in Warsaw.



For a section of United fans who wish to see their side in Europe next term it gives all the more reason to support City’s FA Cup run to at least the final where they could still face fellow high flyers Everton and Arsenal – with the latter two facing off in the quarter-finals.

Potential headaches: United have moved a step closer to qualifying for the Europa League - but David Moyes' team could have to play half-a-season's worth of matches to lift the trophy

Crashing out: With Champions League progression on a knife edge following a 2-0 last 16 defeat at Olympiacos, Manchester United are running out of avenues to reach Europe next term

Dynamic duo: Sir Alex Ferguson's former assistant at Manchester United Mike Phelan (left) believes its important that the Red Devils qualify for Europe next term

Race for Europe: Manchester United are struggling to keep in the hunt for the European places on offer via the Premier League

No runners up prize for Sunderland

Unlike the FA Cup, the runners up of the League Cup do not get a spot in Europe if the winners have already qualified for the Champions League.

Although United look set to miss out on the Champions League for the first time since 1995, Europa League qualification provides a good avenue for the Red Devils to maintain European competition and protect their high club ranking in UEFA’s seeding – which sees them currently sit as one of the top seeded teams in fifth.



Former United assistant boss Mike Phelan has also hinted that the Red Devils must remain in European competition to attract Europe’s best players to the club.

