Midlands | Aston Villa secure Champions League football

Aston Villa 4 - 2 Liverpool

Ollie Watkins scored twice and provided another as Aston Villa brushed aside Liverpool to seal a return to the Champions League next season.

Author | Peter Grainger 

Stadium | Villa Park

Morgan Rogers gave Villa the lead in the first half with a superb finish before Virgil van Dijk headed Liverpool level shortly after the interval.

Villa responded almost immediately. Watkins punished a slip from Dominik Szoboszlai to restore the home side’s advantage before adding his second from close range in the 73rd minute.

John McGinn then added a spectacular fourth as Liverpool slumped to a 19th defeat of the season in all competitions, with Van Dijk’s injury-time second offering little more than consolation for the visitors.

The result leaves Arne Slot’s side still waiting to secure Champions League qualification, with the race potentially going down to the final day depending on results elsewhere involving Brighton and Bournemouth.

For Unai Emery’s Villa, attention can now turn to Wednesday’s Europa League final against Freiburg in Istanbul, where they will attempt to lift their first major trophy in 30 years.

Despite the magnitude of the occasion looming on the horizon, Emery kept faith with the side that defeated Nottingham Forest in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final. Liverpool, meanwhile, were again without Alexander Isak, with the club’s record signing not risked because of a minor injury.

A subdued opening half burst into life when Villa took the lead through a brilliantly worked corner routine that caught Liverpool flat-footed, allowing Rogers to curl home his 10th league goal of the campaign.

Five goals in the second-half

Liverpool drew level seven minutes after the restart when Szoboszlai’s free-kick was met by Van Dijk.

Rio Ngumoha then struck the post from distance, but Liverpool soon unravelled again. Szoboszlai slipped deep inside his own half and Rogers seized on the mistake before feeding Watkins, who finished confidently past Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Slot responded by introducing Florian Wirtz and Federico Chiesa, yet Villa continued to dominate. Emiliano Buendia rattled the woodwork with a brilliant effort before Watkins reacted quickest to convert after Mamardashvili had denied Pau Torres.

Mohamed Salah later emerged from the bench as Liverpool searched for a route back into the game, but it was McGinn who delivered the final flourish with a powerful strike from outside the area before Van Dijk headed in a late second for the visitors.