Aston Villa thrash Liverpool 4-2 in the Premier League

Morgan Rodgers (41'), Ollie Watkins (56', 72'), and their Scottish captain John McGinn (88') scored for Aston Villa, while Virgil van Dijk netted both of Liverpool's goals (51', 90+1').

Securing fourth place with one round remaining

Before this match, both Liverpool, fourth in the standings, and Aston Villa, fifth, with 59 points each, needed just one more win to qualify for the Champions League next season. The home side delivered, achieving their objective five days before their Europa League final against Freiburg of Germany next Wednesday.

Aston Villa, under Spanish coach Unai Emery, avenged their 2-0 defeat to Manchester United in the first leg on November 1, 2025, in the tenth round of the Premier League. They capitalised on their home advantage, collecting 38 points out of a possible 57, with 12 wins, two draws, and five losses.

With this victory, Aston Villa continued their resurgence after three consecutive defeats in all competitions. They had previously secured a resounding 4-0 win against Nottingham Forest in the second leg of the Europa League semi-final and drew 2-2 with Burnley on Sunday in the Premier League. This win lifted them to 62 points, overtaking Liverpool for fourth place, who are now facing the prospect of missing out on Champions League qualification.

The Reds have failed to win any of their last three matches. After losing 3-2 at Old Trafford to Manchester United on May 3, they drew 1-1 at Anfield against Chelsea on Saturday.