An all-English Europa League final is an enticing prospect for most Premier League neutrals but the knock-on effect could put one group of fans into an unpleasant position.
Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. The Gunners will end the season without silverware and now need to qualify for next season's Champions League through the Premier League.
The top five teams in the table will all qualify for the Champions League, meaning Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have a handy safety net but also that Chelsea have one too.
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Chelsea are currently in the all-important fifth place, two points ahead of Nottingham Forest with three fixtures left to play.
Arsenal are second, six points and several teams above sixth. Qualification shouldn't be a problem for the Gunners but if Chelsea get over the line too, the Europa League final comes into play.
The red half of North London has love for neither Tottenham Hotspur nor Manchester United and the final in Bilbao will make for uncomfortable watching any which way for those of an Arsenal persuasion.
But if they think they don't have a dog in the fight, they might have to think again at the end of the Premier League season.
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Spurs and Man Utd will go head to head in the Basque Country looking to salvage an otherwise disappointing season for both teams.
Ange Postecoglou's second season in charge at Tottenham ending with a European trophy would make a point in spite of a dismal showing in the Premier League.
For United, silverware in Ruben Amorim's first partial season would indicate at least the potential to point the listing giant in the right direction.
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That one of these chaotic clubs will secure a Champions League place for next season is confusing enough in its own right but the idea of Arsenal fans cheering on their bitter local rivals, even against the loathed Red Devils, is difficult to compute.
Luckily, the calculation that justifies it has already been done.
What happens to Arsenal if Man Utd win the Europa League?
If Chelsea drop out of the Champions League places and end the season outside the top five, Arsenal fans can hope in vain and good conscience that both teams lose the Europa League final.
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But if Manchester City hold their ground in third and the Blues take a Champions League spot, they'll be taking that spot in Pot 1 for the 2025-26 league phase by virtue of their UEFA coefficient points.
With six of the nine current Pot 1 clubs already qualified, City and Chelsea joining them would leave either Man Utd or Arsenal to take the final slot.
United winning the Europa League puts them in Pot 1 and leaves Arsenal in Pot 2. If Spurs beat Amorim's men in the final, Arsenal take their place.
In theory, Pot 1 teams will have the lower difficulty fixtures in the mammoth league phase.
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Come on you Spurs?
Topics: Arsenal, Manchester United, Man Utd, Tottenham Hotspur, Europa League, Champions League
Chris Nee