Full list: UEFA Champions League quarter-final fixtures
The Premier League will have at least five teams in next season’s UEFA Champions League after securing an additional European Performance Spot (EPS).

The extra place was confirmed after Arsenal claimed a 1-0 victory over Sporting CP in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday. The result ensured England will finish among UEFA’s top two leagues in this season’s coefficient rankings.

It marks the second consecutive year that the Premier League has earned a bonus slot. This season, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle United featured in the competition, while Tottenham Hotspur also qualified as a sixth entrant after winning the UEFA Europa League.

UEFA awards the additional place to the two best-performing leagues across its three major competitions — the Champions League, Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League — and England has topped the standings for most of the campaign.

All nine English teams that entered European competitions progressed beyond the group stage, although only five have reached the quarterfinals.

The battle for fifth place in the Premier League — which now guarantees Champions League qualification — remains tightly contested.

Liverpool currently sit fifth on 49 points, just one point ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea. Brentford and Everton are also within striking distance, only three points behind. In total, just seven points separate fifth from 13th in a congested table.

Path to even more spots
There is also a possibility of increased English representation in next season’s Champions League.

If Aston Villa — currently fourth — win the Europa League but finish outside the top five, they would still qualify automatically, potentially giving the Premier League six teams in the competition.

A similar situation could benefit Liverpool if they win the Champions League but finish outside the top four.

Should either scenario occur, and the winning team finishes fifth, sixth place could also secure qualification. If two English clubs win European titles while finishing fifth and sixth, even seventh place could earn a Champions League spot.

A large crowd of protesters flooded the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Wednesday, defying steady rain to demand electoral accountability as tensions build ahead of the 2027 elections.

What began as a protest linked to a faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) quickly grew into something bigger. People from different political parties and groups joined in, turning it into a broad coalition rally focused on defending democracy and questioning the credibility of the electoral system.

Muyideen Bashiru, a protester, said the turnout showed the concerns cut across party lines, with participants travelling in from different parts of the country.

“We’re currently heading towards the INEC office. You can see the crowd; there are hundreds, possibly thousands of people gathered,” Bashiru said.

Placard held by protesters.

ADC chieftain, Atiku Abubarka had mentioned on his Twitter Account that : Myself and other leaders of the ADC are peacefully protesting against the partisanship of the electoral umpire. Our patriotic stance is aimed at safeguarding our democracy and preventing the enthronement of a dictatorship. -AA pic.twitter.com/tYbU6v6a7Q

— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) April 8, 2026
Among those present were David Mark, former Senate President; Rauf Aregbesola, former Governor of Osun State and ex-Minister of Interior; Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and Labour Party presidential candidate; Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano State and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement; and Dino Melaye, former Senator representing Kogi West, alongside other political figures.

File Photo: Rotimi Amaechi at the protest. Photo credit: ADC

The protesters had earlier gathered at David Mark’s residence, where a morning service was held to mark his 78th birthday, before moving out in a coordinated march.

“As you can see, it’s massive, this is not just about the ADC, there are members of other political parties here as well,” he said.

Some protesters. Photo credit: ADC

From Apo Legislative Quarters, the crowd surged towards the INEC office, swelling along the way and taking over major roads in the Federal Capital Territory.

“You’ll recall that this protest was initially planned for last week but was cancelled,” Bashiru said.

File Photo: Rotimi Amaechi and Dino Melaye at the protest.

The earlier plan was shelved after heavy security deployment, including roadblocks and patrol vehicles. But Wednesday’s protest appeared largely unannounced, suggesting a shift in approach that may have caught authorities off guard.

“But today feels different, it seems spontaneous, almost as if security agencies were caught off guard,” he said.

Despite the rain, the crowd kept growing at the INEC office, with an atmosphere that was intense but orderly.

“You can see the crowd behind me; it’s still growing, and the energy is intense,” Bashiru said.

20-year-old college student allegedly gave birth in a toilet and watched the baby drown. Authorities say she attended a theater performance after the child’s death.

Anne Mae Demegillo, a 20-year-old Florida student, was arrested for aggravated mansl*ughter after allegedly allowing her newborn to drown in a toilet.

Authorities state that despite claiming the infant was stillborn, evidence suggests the baby was born alive.

Following the birth, Demegillo reportedly placed the body in a duffel bag and attended a theater performance before burying the infant in a shallow backyard grave.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office noted the tragedy occurred despite Florida’s Safe Haven Law, which allows for the anonymous surrender of newborns.