UEFA Champions League Secured: Aston Villa Thrash Liverpool 4-2 at Villa Park

Aston Villa secured Champions League football for next season with a resounding victory over Liverpool at Villa Park, powered by a brace from Ollie Watkins and goals from Morgan Rogers and John McGinn.

Rogers opened the scoring in the first half with a superb strike following a clever set-piece routine, notching his 10th league goal of the campaign.

Liverpool responded early in the second half when Virgil van Dijk headed home from a Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick.

But Villa struck back almost immediately.

Szoboszlai slipped deep in his own half, allowing Rogers to turn provider and set up Watkins, who finished clinically past Giorgi Mamardashvili. Watkins added his second in the 73rd minute, tapping in from close range after Mamardashvili had denied Pau Torres.

McGinn then capped the performance with a curling strike from outside the box, before Van Dijk grabbed a late consolation with his second of the night.

The defeat marked Liverpool’s 19th loss of the season in all competitions, leaving Arne Slot’s side still uncertain of Champions League qualification, with the race potentially going down to the final day depending on Brighton and Bournemouth’s results.