Ahead of their upcoming UEFA Europa League (UEL) final, Aston Villa secured UEFA Champions League (UCL) qualification through the Premier League after defeating fellow top-four hopefuls Liverpool 4-2. The result marked Liverpool’s ninth away defeat of the campaign, meaning the Reds have now lost nearly half of their matches on the road this season, though they still remain favourites to secure a place in Europe’s elite competition.

Unai Emery raised a few eyebrows by naming a full-strength starting XI just days before Villa’s UEL clash with Freiburg, and the decision nearly paid off immediately. Ollie Watkins combined neatly with Morgan Rogers before forcing Giorgi Mamardashvili into an early save with a powerful effort.

Watkins threatened again shortly afterwards, although concern briefly spread around Villa Park when the forward slipped awkwardly while chasing the ball. Fortunately for the hosts, he was able to get back to his feet and continue.

Liverpool then thought they had taken the lead when Cody Gakpo reacted quickest after Emiliano Martinez spilled Ryan Gravenberch’s strike, but celebrations were cut short as the offside flag was raised instantly.

The visitors gradually took control of possession as the first half progressed, yet it was Villa who struck first on the stroke of half-time. A cleverly executed short-corner routine once again exposed Liverpool’s weakness at defending set-pieces, allowing Morgan Rogers the space to curl a precise finish into the corner.

Despite their shaky defending, Liverpool demonstrated their threat from set-pieces and levelled the match early in the second half, as Virgil van Dijk powered home a superb delivery from Dominik Szoboszlai.

Rio Ngumoha nearly sparked a quick comeback moments later, only to see his curling strike crash against the post, while Cody Gakpo failed to capitalise on the rebound even with the offside flag remaining down.

Liverpool were soon punished for those missed opportunities when a slip from Szoboszlai gifted Morgan Rogers the chance to send Ollie Watkins through on goal, and the striker calmly finished to restore Aston Villa’s lead at 2-1.

Not long after, Giorgi Mamardashvili was forced into another important save to prevent Watkins from doubling his tally, before Emiliano Buendía came inches away from scoring with a fierce effort that rattled the underside of the crossbar.

Villa’s pressure eventually paid off, as Watkins finally grabbed his second of the night with a simple tap-in after the Liverpool goalkeeper had already produced two more saves to keep his side alive.

The hosts still were not done there, with John McGinn adding further gloss to the scoreline thanks to a magnificent curling finish into the top corner. Van Dijk managed to pull one back deep into stoppage time, though it served as little more than a consolation.

Liverpool can still secure an arguably undeserved UEFA Champions League place if Manchester City overcome Bournemouth on Tuesday, while victory against Brentford on the final day would also guarantee qualification if needed.

As for Aston Villa, a rare win over Liverpool — only their second in the last 17 meetings — allows them to fully shift attention towards Istanbul, where they will aim to end a 30-year wait for silverware and claim their first major European trophy of the century.