What needs to happen now for West Ham to qualify for next season’s Europa League

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West Ham United have worked their way into ninth place in the Premier League with 11 games to play.

The Hammers beat Fulham 3-1 last time out to go four points off seventh spot.

That will ultimately be the highest West Ham or indeed any club outside the top six can finish this season.

Seventh place is being dubbed the ‘best of the rest’ position. Hardly an esteemed accolade to inspire fans and players.

Best of the rest

But it could yet hold the key to West Ham qualifying for the Europa League, which would be an achievement.

At the moment the Premier League gets four Champions League places and three Europa League places each season.

Two of the three Europa League places go to the winners of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. The other goes to fifth place in the league.

As a result of Manchester City – bound for the Champions League by league position – winning the Carabao Cup, that Europa spot is awarded to sixth place in the league.

The top six is already sewn up.

West Ham and the Europa League permutations

So the Hammers need either Manchester City or Manchester United to win the FA Cup in order to push the final Europa place down to seventh.

Man United are away to Wolves – one of West Ham’s rivals for seventh place – in the quarter-finals while City are away to Championship side Swansea City.

Should both progress to an all-Manchester final West Ham will know whether seventh place is good enough for the Europa League by Sunday April 7.

Tough run-in awaits

Manuel Pellegrini’s side face four tough fixtures after that date (whufc.com).

Back-to-back away games at Chelsea and Manchester United are followed by a home game against Leicester City and away trip to Tottenham.

Of course West Ham still have to take care of their own business and ensure they finish seventh.

Wolves, Watford, Everton and Leicester will also have similar ambitions.

Before then West Ham travel to Man City on Wednesday night before a home game against Newcastle on Saturday.

While it is unlikely, if results go their way they could be in 7th come Saturday evening.