Aston Villa qualify for Champions League in style, exposing Liverpool's defensive flaws

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.

On a sun-kissed evening at Villa Park, until Rogers’ beautiful strike approaching the interval it was impossible not to detect the end-of-season feel flowing through the veins of these sides during a flat and uninspiring first half. Unai Emery presumably expected more given he named a full-strength XI despite the prospect of Villa winning their first major European final in 44 years just a matter of days away. Liverpool welcomed Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz back to their squad but Alexander Isak, the former only capable of playing “only a few minutes”, and Jeremie Frimpong dropped out with minor issues, meaning Slot was without nine first-team players, a quartet of youngsters named on the bench.

Liverpool appeared loose in shape, Cody Gakpo leading the line, Curtis Jones popping up on the right flank and Rio Ngumoha, whose withdrawal against Chelsea forced Slot to explain afterwards that the 17-year-old was struggling with cramp, on the opposite wing. Gakpo rippled Villa’s net after Emiliano Martínez spilled a shot by Ryan Gravenberch but was a yard or two offside. When Dominik Szoboszlai sent a swerving effort at goal from 30 yards a few minutes later, Martínez opted for safety-first, pushing the ball away with two hands. But Liverpool were stodgy, a pale imitation of the team that dazzled en route to the title under Slot last season.

Villa always looked more likely to open the scoring, Watkins testing Giorgi Mamardashvili inside 90 seconds after swivelling and taking aim. When Mamardashvili was too hasty in surging from goal without preserving the ball, Rogers looked to locate Watkins before Liverpool extinguished the danger. Liverpool’s first effort courtesy of Joe Gomez, yet to score a career goal, sailed over the Villa bar. Ngumoha had his moments but where was Liverpool’s attacking edge?

Villa instead displayed theirs on 42 minutes, leaving Slot unmoved on the edge of his technical area. The galling thing for Liverpool was that it stemmed from a corner, a training-ground routine seemingly architected by Austin MacPhee, Villa’s set-piece coach whom Rogers embraced after curling the ball into the far top corner of Mamardashvili’s goal. John McGinn and Lucas Digne exchanged passes, the latter releasing Rogers to exhibit the first real piece of quality. Presumably Slot had one particular statistic running through his mind as he headed down the tunnel: his side have failed to win any of their 13 away league games when trailing at half-time.

Youri Tielemans breezed past Gravenberch’s challenge at the start of the second half, leaving the Dutchman in a heap, but after the restart there was also more tempo to Liverpool’s play. Ngumoha burned past Matty Cash and from the byline, and possibly out of play, he sent the ball into the box. Villa stopped but Liverpool stayed alive and Pau Torres blocked a shot by Jones. Martínez frantically waved to the referee, Chris Kavanagh, screaming injustice.

A couple of minutes later all eyes were on Kavanagh when the big screens indicated a video assistant referee review after Van Dijk planted a header past Martínez. Van Dijk gave Cash a brief shove before meeting Szoboszlai’s free-kick at the edge of the six-yard box. Van Dijk wagged his index finger, insisting there was no foul and the goal was awarded after he was cleared of offside.

This contest took on a different shape. Watkins put the ball in the net before the offside flag went up and then Ngumoha whizzed inside McGinn, cracking a low shot against the base of a post. The ball cannoned towards Gakpo and, at an awkward height, he failed to make clean contact with the rebound. Liverpool were so close to seizing the lead but trailed a minute later, Ibrahima Konaté slumped on the turf while Watkins wheeled away in celebration patting the crest on his chest. It was a painful goal from a Liverpool perspective and particularly agonising for Szoboszlai, far and away their best performer in a difficult season. He slipped after receiving Milos Kerkez’s throw-in, Rogers was first on the scene and teed up Watkins who applied a clever finish.

A rampant Watkins hunted for another goal, Mamardashvili saving well after Buendía released the England striker and it arrived with 73 minutes on the clock. By that point Buendía had gone close himself, stepping inside to rattle the crossbar with a bending effort. Watkins’ second was so simple, tapping in after Mamardashvili saved from Pau Torres. For Liverpool, it came from another opposition corner. Mamardashvili saved Tielemans’ strike from distance but Van Dijk was left grimacing as Watkins was on hand to fire before McGinn got in on the act. Van Dijk headed a consolation in stoppage time.