Aston Villa beat Liverpool to seal Champions League spot and shake up European race | OneFootball

Aston Villa secured Champions League football for 2026-27 with a 4-2 win over Liverpool on Friday, confirming a top-five finish with one match remaining. According to NY Times, the battle for European places could still shift with results in Europe and the FA Cup.

Morgan Rogers opened the scoring. Virgil van Dijk levelled with an early second-half header, but four minutes later Villa regained the lead. Ollie Watkins struck twice after the interval and John McGinn added a late goal, with Van Dijk replying again in stoppage time.

The result lifts Villa three points clear of Liverpool with one league game left for each. Villa are guaranteed Champions League football regardless of their Europa League final result. Liverpool’s place is not yet secure, they host Brentford on the final day.

Villa meet Freiburg in the Europa League final on Wednesday, then visit title-chasing Manchester City at the Etihad on 24 May. If they win the Europa League and finish fifth, England’s Champions League contingent would extend to sixth.

If Villa finish fourth, UEFA’s European Performance Spots system means sixth would not qualify, so a win at City would keep it to the top five. Separately, if Manchester City beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final, an extra Europa League berth would pass to the league and eighth would suffice. If Chelsea win the cup and Villa beat Freiburg while finishing fifth, seventh would drop into the Conference League.

Source: NY Times