Aston Villa beat Liverpool to secure Champions League qualification

BIRMINGHAM — Aston Villa secured qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League after a commanding 4-2 victory over Liverpool in the Premier League on Friday, with Ollie Watkins starring with a brilliant brace.

The victory moved Aston Villa up to fourth spot on 62 points from 37 games, knocking Liverpool down to fifth on 59 points and leaving them with an anxious battle to secure their own Champions League place.

Unai Emery’s side produced a clinical attacking display at Villa Park to maintain their magnificent campaign and head into next week’s Europa League final against Freiburg full of confidence.

Liverpool controlled long periods of the first half but Villa opened the scoring in the 42nd minute. Morgan Rogers had room down the left side of the penalty area and Lucas Digne found him with a pass, and Rogers curled a composed finish into the far corner.

Liverpool were soon level in the second half when captain Virgil van Dijk headed home Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick in the 52nd minute. Moments later the visitors were almost back in the game when teenage winger Rio Ngumoha thumped the base of the post from long range. However, Villa regained control when Szoboszlai made a costly error, enabling Watkins to re-establish the home side’s lead. The England striker took his chance ruthlessly before Villa continued to threaten with Emiliano Buendia also hitting the post with a curling effort. Watkins eventually got his second goal of the night, quickest to react to a rebound in the six-yard box, firmly putting Villa in control as Liverpool’s defensive woes continued.

Van Dijk added a second headed goal deep into stoppage time to reduce the deficit, but it did little to change the outcome as Liverpool slumped to a 12th league defeat of the season and extended their poor recent run to one point from their last three matches.

For Villa, though, it was a memorable night as they achieved one of their biggest targets of the campaign by returning to Europe’s elite competition, with the added prospect of lifting the Europa League trophy in Istanbul next week.