• Reds’ Champions League hopes hurt by 4-2 defeat

• Aston Villa’s John McGinn ‘excited’ by European final

Arne Slot conceded defeat at Aston Villa could prove “damaging” for Liverpool’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League and accepted their supporters will question whether he can make the club title contenders again.

Liverpool slumped to a 4-2 defeat at Villa, for whom victory was sufficient to cement their spot in Europe’s premier competition next season. Slot’s side may need to win their final game of the season, at home to Brentford next Sunday, to guarantee a place in the Champions League. Villa, meanwhile, could celebrate qualification before the Europa League final in Istanbul, a chance to win a first major European trophy since 1982.

Ollie Watkins scored twice and ran Liverpool ragged as Aston Villa clinched a Champions League place in style

“Right Rob, let’s get down to brass tacks – Slot, should he be shown the door or given another year?” asks Peadar de Burca. “On the evidence of, let’s say, the last ten games, you’d have to say that the Liverpool manager has been found wanting. That extra little bit of innovation or rough magic hasn’t been there. A lot of talent at the top end of the team and you get the feeling a good manager could have shaped those players into something sharper, as opposed to the butter knife attack we’ve mostly seen. So, give him the boot?

“Well, this is a Liverpool team in transition. I suspect the owners, no mugs, had this in mind back in July after Diogo Jota’s tragic death and saw this as a year to acquire some serious talent, let them bed in with the real aim being the 2026-27 season. You’d hope Jeremy Jacquet will be joined by one or two more defensively minded players and the team will have more balance. The team will have had time to become a team. Let’s not judge Slot now, but in eight months’ time when Isak, Ekitike, Wirtz and Ngumoha are able to read each other’s minds.

Today we are without nine players. The good news is that Florian and Mo are on the bench, but Alex [Isak] is out with a minor injury.

I have to compliment Mo on how hard he has worked to be back. It’s not always straightforward with the type of injury he had.

It almost felt like Aston Villa were trolling Liverpool as someone inside this throbbing stadium pressed play and the operatic Champions League anthem blared over the speakers. Villa had just qualified in style, a stirring victory superbly spearheaded by Ollie Watkins that exposed the kind of blind spots that have undermined Arne Slot’s meek title defence. For Villa, this was the perfect tonic before Wednesday’s Europa League final in Istanbul and for Unai Emery, arguably his greatest triumph yet given the financial muscle of their rivals. Well, for a few days at least.

Somehow, Emery was left off the Premier League’s six-strong manager of the season shortlist. Afterwards Villa basked in the achievement and Emery yelled into a microphone: “Up the Villa!” And then: “We’re going to Istanbul!” It was a rare break from Emery’s cold laser focus; after the final whistle he shook hands with Slot and clenched his left fist in celebration as he marched towards the tunnel.