Ollie Watkins scored two goals and set up another as Aston Villa swept aside Liverpool to secure Champions League football next season.
Another loss for Liverpool means Arne Slot’s side are still not guaranteed Champions League football next season and that race could go to the final day of the season, depending on Brighton and Bournemouth’s results.
Unai Emery’s Villa can now look forward to Wednesday’s Europa League Final against Freiburg in Istanbul, where they will look to win their first major trophy in 30 years.
In a relatively quiet first half, it was Villa who broke the deadlock after a wonderful set-piece routine from a corner that caught Liverpool out and ended with Rogers curling in for his 10th league goal of the season.
Liverpool levelled in the 52nd minute with a set-piece of their own when Szoboszlai’s free-kick found Virgil van Dijk’s head.
Rio Ngumoha then struck the post with an effort from outside the box but Liverpool were the architects of their own downfall again when Szoboszlai slipped deep in his own half and Rogers turned provider as he teed up Watkins, who finished past Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Slot turned to his bench, throwing on Florian Wirtz and Federico Chiesa, but Villa were relentless and shortly after Emiliano Buendia struck the woodwork with an incredible effort, Watkins was on hand to tap in from close range after Mamardashvili had denied Pau Torres.
Mohamed Salah returned off the bench as Liverpool tried to force a way back but it was McGinn who put the icing on the cake with a solid strike from outside the box before Van Dijk got a consolation late on for the visitors.
Credit: bbc
