Key events
Ben Fisher
Aston Villa qualified for the Champions League in style after leapfrogging Liverpool with a stirring victory that exposed the blind spots that have undermined Arne Slot’s meek title defence. Ollie Watkins scored twice after Virgil van Dijk had cancelled out Morgan Rogers’ brilliant, curling opener before Villa’s captain, John McGinn, completed the rout from the edge of the box.
Liverpool have now conceded a league-high 20 goals from set pieces this season, Rogers benefiting from a well-worked corner routine in the first half and Watkins in the second. For Villa, whose league form had been indifferent since the turn of the year, a confidence-inducing victory before Wednesday’s Europa League final.
John McGinn’s reaction
It’s a great performance and a great way to end the season at Villa Park. How can you not [be full of confidence]? We’ve just made this club a Champions League club again, and it allows us to be excited and enjoy the game on Wednesday.
We’ve got a chance to get some silverware but the fact we’re in the Champions League is an unbelievable achievement.
We’re so fortunate to have him. What he’s done for this club is incredible.
[On the Europa League final] It’ll be the pinnacle of my Aston Villa career. Hopefully I’ll get my hands on that trophy. We need to play the game, not the occasion.
“First off, well played Villa,” says Stephen Cottrell. “Tonight should be about them. Second, the five players Liverpool are missing:
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James Milner
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Jordan Henderson
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Sadio Manê
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Pele
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Bobby bloody Moore.”
Full time: Aston Villa 4-2 Liverpool
A great night for Aston Villa, who secured a Champions League place by running Liverpool ragged at Villa Park. The outstanding Ollie Watkins scored twice, with Morgan Rogers and John McGinn curling superb goals of their own.
Virgil van Dijk headed both Liverpool’s goals, but they were so vulnerable defensively and could have lost by more.
90+8 min By the way I missed a couple of Villa substitutions straight after McGinn’s goal. Douglas Luiz and Jadon Sancho came on for John McGinn and Youri Tielemans.
90+7 min The manner of this victory should give Villa so much confidence heading into the Europa League final. Better still, it looks like their key players all got through the game unscathed.
90+4 min “Go on then, who are the four of five players Slot is missing?” says Matt Burgess. “Serious question? Slot is not a man-manager. He’s an injury-avoidance manager.”
Don’t take it out on me! But since you asked: Isak, Ekitike, Alisson, Wirtz, maybe Frimpong, maybe Salah. Yes, I know Wirtz and Salah are on the field now but they weren’t fit to start the game.
GOAL! Aston Villa 4-2 Liverpool (Van Dijk 90+2)
The resulting corner is taken short by Szoboszlai on the left. He lends the ball to Kerkez, then lifts an inviting cross that is headed in at the far post by Van Dijk. It’s his second goal of the night.
90+1 min The brilliant Ngumoha plays a slick one-two with Kerkez and hits a shot that deflects behind off Konsa.
90 min There will be eight minutes of added time. For all Liverpool’s fragility, Villa have been fantastic tonight, every bit as good as they were against Forest in the Europa League semi-final second leg.
Villa worked the ball across the edge of the area from left to right. McGinn stopped the ball dead, took a mental snapshot and flipped a gorgeous curling shot into the far top corner. Mamardashvili got a slight touch as he leapt to his right but he couldn’t keep it out.
GOAL! Aston Villa 4-1 Liverpool (McGinn 89)
John McGinn brings the house down with another fabulous goal!
86 min Liverpool have picked up only one point from eight games away to the teams in the top nine. That’s another pretty grim statistic.
84 min: Villa substitution Emi Buendia is replaced by Ian Maatsen.
83 min Ngumoha’s deep cross from the left is headed back across by Van Dijk to Chiesa, whose close-range volley is well saved by Martinez.
83 min If it stays like this, Liverpool may need to beat Brentford at Anfield next weekend to qualify for the Champions League. Or they may not – it depends on the results of Bournemouth v Manchester City and Aston Villa v Freiburg.
80 min Another knife-through-butter counter-attack from Villa falls down when Barkley overhits his pass to Rogers.
78 min Liverpool have conceded 76 goals in all competition this season, the most since they shipped 83 in 1992-93.
76 min “Remember Brendan Rodgers got an extra season in 2015 only to be canned in the autumn?” writes Niall Mullen. “Based largely on a title challenge off the back of a generational player having an all-time season. All of which leads me to believe Klopp will be back in October.”
Does that mean you’ll be signing James Milner this summer?
75 min: Liverpool substitution Mo Salah is on for Cody Gakpo.
When the corner was eventually taken, Konsa went down appealing for a penalty after another, a-hem, interaction with Mac Allister. Play continued and Mamardashvili made a fine double save from Tielemans and Pau – but he could do nothing to stop Watkins forcing the loose ball home from five yards. Watkins has been electric.
GOAL! Aston Villa 3-1 Liverpool (Watkins 73)
Aston Villa are romping into the Champions League!
71 min: VAR check Mac Allister goes down holding his face after an altercation with Konsa. It’s a load of nonsense, really. They pushed each other in the chest, at which point Konsa grabbed a bit of Mac Allister’s shirt and moved his hand towards his face. It wasn’t a punch, not even close, and it’s been cleared by VAR.
70 min: Buendia hits the bar!
Villa have run Liverpool ragged in the second half. This time it’s the turn of Buendia, who cuts inside from the left and curls an extravagant shot towards the far corner. It beats Mamardashvili – he didn’t move – and hits the crossbar.
69 min “They need to get rid of this pointless open-play business,” writes Paul Griffin. “All this passing and movement is betraying the essence of the game, which is to whip the ball into the back stick towards a group of men in pastel shirts jostling and bumping like they’re having an altercation in a 3am kebab house.”
I swear I heard Pointless Open-Play Business on 6 Music earlier. Or was it 3am Kebab House?
68 min A glorious chance for Villa on the break. Martinez’s quick kick out is controlled excellently by Watkins – but then he underhits a simple through pass to Rogers. That allows the last defender Kerkez to make a vital challenge.
67 min: Double substitution for Liverpool Federico Chiesa and Florian Wirtz replace Ryan Gravenberch and Joe Gomez.
66 min McGinn is booked for leaving a bit on Kerkez.
65 min: Mamardashvili denies Watkins again! Watkins looks so sharp. He makes another perfectly timed run to meet Rogers’ pass and reverse a close-range shot that is superbly stopped by Mamardashvili.
64 min “Another really difficult watch,” says Kev McManus. “Been going to see Liverpool for 50 years now. I know time plays tricks with your memory but this season has been painful. It’s as bad as I can remember, right up there with the Hodgson and the end of Brendan Rogers. No plan, no vision, no passion. It sounds like we are sticking with manager but I’m not convinced and most of the people I speak to at the match feel the same.”