Current Uefa rankings (will affect 2017/18 European participation)
| Country | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 20.857 | 17.714 | 23 | 20.214 | 14.928 | 96.713 |
| Germany | 15.25 | 17.928 | 14.714 | 15.857 | 12.714 | 76.463 |
| England | 15.25 | 16.428 | 16.785 | 13.571 | 10.875 | 72.909 |
| Italy | 11.357 | 14.416 | 14.166 | 19 | 10.666 | 69.605 |
| France | 10.5 | 11.75 | 8.5 | 10.916 | 10.25 | 51.916 |
| Portugal | 11.833 | 11.75 | 9.916 | 9.083 | 9.166 | 51.748 |
| Russia | 9.75 | 9.75 | 10.416 | 9.666 | 11.3 | 50.882 |
| Ukraine | 7.75 | 9.5 | 7.833 | 10 | 7 | 42.083 |
| Belgium | 10.1 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 9.6 | 7 | 39.6 |
| Netherlands | 13.6 | 4.214 | 5.916 | 6.083 | 5.416 | 35.229 |
That means, as things stand, England will hold on to their four Champions League spots for another year, though much could change between now and the end of the season.
11 Premier League and Serie A sides are still competing in Europe and none of the four English sides that played last week recorded a win. All four have a decent chance of going out at this stage, while few are backing Arsenal to see off Barcelona over two legs.
Moreover, given that Uefa's standings take five seasons into account, come next season the 2011/12 campaign - when Chelsea won the Champions League and Italy saw only one side reach the quarter finals of either major European competition - will no longer play any part.
Champions League - English clubs past 10 years
| Year | Quarter-finalists | Semi-finalists | Runners up | Winners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006-07 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007-08 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2008-09 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009-10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010-11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011-12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012-13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013-14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014-15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
That year, England gained four more points than Italy. Once 2011/12 is wiped off the scoreboards, Italy will move slightly ahead of England in the table. That makes the progress teams make in 2015/16 all the more important.
The Premier League did not have a quarter-finalist last season, and has not had anyone reach the final since Chelsea lifted the trophy.
It is also worth noting that Serie A clubs didn't have a great time in Europe last week; Roma will struggle to overturn a 2-0 first leg deficit to Real Madrid, while Napoli, Fiorentina and Lazio all failed to win in the Europa League.
However, the Premier League's position is precarious and clubs are not in a position to take any chances. The emergence of Tottenham and Leicester as top four contenders has made getting into the Champions League even more difficult.
Whether Pellegrini's decision to rest his most important players will pay off remains to be seen, but if he can be sure that doing so will benefit his team's chances of Champions League progression, then he was right to do so.
- Telegraph