Europa League draw LIVE! West Ham, Liverpool and Brighton learn group stage opponents

Europa League draw LIVE!

The group stage draws for both the Europa League and Conference League take place this afternoon, with West Ham, Liverpool, Brighton and Aston Villa all in the mix. The Hammers won the Conference League last season, and their prize was qualification for the second-tier competition. They join Liverpool and Rangers in Pot 1.

Brighton’s remarkable sixth-placed finish in the Premier League last season has rewarded them with that first ever European group stage draw. They find themselves in Pot 3. After the four British teams learn their fate, it will be the Conference League’s chance, with Villa back in Europe after a 12-year absence. It has been even longer since they made it this far.

The action gets under way in Monaco from 12pm UK time, with the Conference League draw following an hour later. Follow both draws LIVE below with our dedicated match blog. Stick with us for all the build-up, action and reaction.

Europa League draw latest updates

• Europa League draw time: 12pm BST

• Conference League draw time 1pm BST

• How to watch: UEFA website or TNT Sport

• Europa League pots in full

12:29 , Alex Young

Royale Union Saint-Gilloise join Liverpool and LASK.

12:28 , Alex Young

Ooh, hello. Brighton are in Group B with Ajax and Marseille.

12:27 , Alex Young

Freiburg are in West Ham’s group.

12:27 , Alex Young

Villarreal and Rennes and Group F and Roma and Slavia Praha in Group G.

12:25 , Alex Young

Liverpool get LASK in Group E.

12:24 , Alex Young

Sporting are in Group D with Atalanta.

Probably the toughest Pot 2 team, the Portuguese.

12:24 , Alex Young

Real Betis join Rangers in Group C.

12:24 , Alex Young

Marseille are in Group B with Ajax.

12:23 , Alex Young

West Ham are joined by Olympiacos in Group A.

12:22 , Alex Young

Bayer Leverkusen are in Group H.

12:21 , Alex Young

Villarreal are in Group F and Roma in Group G.

12:20 , Alex Young

Liverpool go into Group E.

12:20 , Alex Young

Ajax go into Group B and Rangers in Group C.

Draw time!

12:19 , Alex Young

West Ham are the first team out, and they go into Group A.

12:13 , Alex Young

Now the real reason we are here today: Giorgio Marchetti is on stage.

12:12 , Alex Young

John O’Shea is tipping Liverpool to go far in the competition, and that Brighton will surprise a few teams along the way.

12:10 , Alex Young

And now John O’Shea is here! As far as I’m aware he never played in this competition but is an ambassador for this season’s final.

12:07 , Alex Young

Stephane Mbia will help with the draw, and he’s got the Europa League trophy with him too.

12:06 , Alex Young

We are treated to a very good montage of last season’s final. That got the blood pumping.

12:01 , Alex Young

Right, we’re underway in Monaco! Alex Scott and Matt Smith (not that one) are on presenting duties.

West Ham moving on up

11:57 , Alex Young

West Ham are eying another European run after last season’s memorable success in Prague.

The Hammers went all the way in the Europa Conference League and their reward is a place in this season’s Europa League, a competition they reached the semi-finals of in 2022.

Best-case scenario: LASK, Maccabi Haifa, Hacken

Worse-case scenario Sporting CP, Sheriff Tiraspol, Panathinaikos

You would think West Ham should have little trouble whomever they are drawn against.

What we’re playing for

11:51 , Alex Young

There she is in all her glory.

Europa League outright odds

11:39 , Alex Young

Liverpool are the clear favourites to win the competition, with Brighton and Roma a fair distance further back.

• Liverpool - 7/2

• Brighton, Roma - 12/1

• Villarreal - 14/1

• Atalanta - 16/1

• West Ham, Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen, Sporting Lisbon, Real Betis - 20/1

• Ajax, Rennes - 25/1

• SC Freiburg - 28/1

• Rangers, Toulouse - 50/1

(Odds via BettingSites.co.uk)

11:30 , Alex Young

Half an hour to go.

When will the Europa League group stage matches be played?

11:28 , Alex Young

Matchday 1: September 21

Matchday 2: October 5

Matchday 3: October 26

Matchday 4: November 9

Matchday 5: November 30

Matchday 6: December 14

Europa League pots in full

11:15 , Alex Young

Pot 1: West Ham, Liverpool, Roma, Ajax, Villarreal, Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, Rangers

Pot 2: Sporting CP, Slavia Prague, Rennes, Olympiacos, Real Betis, LASK, Marseille, Qarabag

Pot 3: Molde, Brighton, Sheriff Tiraspol, Union SG, Freiburg, Sparta Prague, Maccabi Haifa, Sturm Graz

Pot 4: Toulouse, AEK Athens, Hacken, TSC, Servette, Panathinaikos, Rakow Czestochowa, Aris Limassol

How can I watch the Europa League group stage draw?

10:55 , Alex Young

TV channel: The draw will be broadcast live in the UK on TNT Sport 1, with coverage starting at 12pm BST just ahead of the draw.

Live stream: TNT Sport subscribers can watch the draw live via the app or website, while the draw will also be broadcast for free via Uefa’s YouTube and social media channels.

A change of venue in 2023

10:44 , Alex Young

You might well think we’re off to Nyon and UEFA’s headquarters in Switzerland for today’s draw - and you’d be wrong!

After three years away, the ceremony will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

Nyon is football heritage, surely.

Welcome

10:37 , Alex Young

Hello and welcome to the Evening Standard’s LIVE coverage of both the Europa League and Conference League draws.

First up is the Europa draw, which includes West Ham, Liverpool and Brighton.

The action in Monaco gets under way at 12pm UK time. Stick with us.