No it isn't a given which is a joke.
I think the CL is a distraction but it's worth it. You're playing against the best in the world and I kinda think it's more important than the PL actually. The EL is just a poor runners up competition. It's more games than the CL, often further away in the arsehole of nowhere in small stadiums at inconvenient times and days. The CL is the epitome of club football imo while the EL is worth about as much as the League Cup and involves a lot more effort and time.
Also, if we can't qualify for the CL through the league, we deserve not to be there.