Aston Villa secure Champions League spot with thrashing of Liverpool
Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins celebrates scoring.
If Arne Slot had hoped Aston Villa would be distracted by their upcoming Europa League final then, not for the first time since August, Liverpool’s manager was left feeling disappointed.
Having arrived in the West Midlands knowing that victory would guarantee Champions League football next season, the Dutchman was forced to watch Unai Emery’s men confirm their own entry into UEFA’s blue riband competition thanks to Ollie Watkins’ brace sandwiched in between strikes from Morgan Rogers and John McGinn.
Despite winning the Premier League less than 12 months ago, Liverpool’s underwhelming title defence has prompted some to question whether Slot should remain in charge. Although there appears little appetite for change among the visitors’ hierarchy, the lack of conviction they demonstrated against opponents whose star is firmly in the ascendancy will do little to quell those doubts.
Liverpool are still likely to secure a top five finish, with sixth-placed Bournemouth four points behind them. But the ease with which Villa sliced through his team during a dominant second period revealed the work Slot must undertake over the summer to arrest the decline.
Even Virgil van Dijk, who also scored twice, appeared human at times.
A game boasting more subplots than a William Shakespeare play began, perhaps unsurprisingly, in relatively sedate fashion. The respect between the two teams was evident and so, given their refusal to go immediately for the jugular, was the jeopardy in the fixture. Not only because of its significance to their respective European ambitions but also, with this summer’s World Cup looming large on the horizon, due to the number of names on show whose seats on the planes set to whisk their countries to North America, was the desire not to make what could be a costly mistake at such a critical stage of the campaign.
England held its breath when Watkins, whose recent form has been exceptional, went down injured during the early skirmishes. Likewise the red half of Merseyside, as Villa probed, when Giorgi Mamardashvili raced off his line to snuff-out a promising counter attack and nearly made a hash of his clearance.
Not that the hosts were immune to the hesitancy which initially consumed the Georgian. Emiliano Martinez, after seeing his opposite number troubled by Watkins’ presence, almost immediately followed suit with an equally unconvincing intervention as Cody Gakpo chased down a long punt forward.
While all that was happening - and Liverpool’s rearguard struggled to get to grips with Villa’s prolific marksman, Matty Cash and Rio Ngumoha, a rare success story during Slot’s second year at the helm, found themselves embroiled in a fascinating duel along Villa’s right flank. No quarter was asked and none was given either as Ngumoha, who turns 18 in August, demonstrated he has the durability as well as the skill set to become a very big noise.
An expertly crafted corner routine involving Lucas Digne ended with Rogers sweeping home beyond Mamardashvili to hand Villa the advantage just before the break.
Van Dijk’s physicality allowed him to level soon after the restart when he overpowered Cash to head Szboszlai’s free-kick past Martinez. Ngumoha then struck the woodwork following a trademark run.
A rare slip from Dominik Szboszlai - quite literally - immediately allowed Villa to restore their advantage when Watkins, receiving Rogers’ pass after the Hungarian had lost his footing, netted for the third time in as many outings.
Watkins pounced again, for the 20th time this season, following a scramble in the area. Then, during the closing stages, McGinn’s memorable effort - sweeping the ball into the top corner from range - underlined Villa’s dominance before van Dijk’s header, from another Szboszlai set-piece, handed Liverpool a consolation.
Martinez 6; Cash 7, Konsa 6, Torres 6, Digne 7; Lindelof 6 (Barkley 45), Tielemans 6 (Douglas Luiz 90); McGinn 7 (Sancho 90), Rogers 8, Buendia 7 (Maatsen 86); Watkins 7.
Mamardashvili 5; Gomez 6 (Chiesa 66), Konate 6, van Dijk 6, Kerkez 6; Gravenberch 6 (Wirtz 66), Mac Allister 6; Jones 6, Szboszlai 7, Ngumoha 7; Gakpo 6 (Salah 74).
Chris Kavanagh.
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