Liverpool dealt a severe blow to Tottenham Hotspur‘s Champions League aspirations with a convincing 4-2 victory at Anfield, while Aston Villa’s hopes of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League were left hanging despite their 1-0 loss to Brighton on Sunday.
In a must-win match for Tottenham at Anfield to narrow the gap with fourth-placed Villa, they suffered their fourth consecutive defeat, effectively ending their Champions League dreams.
Villa currently sit seven points ahead of Tottenham, with a game in hand, and will secure a top-four finish if they win one of their remaining two matches.
Liverpool, buoyed by Mohamed Salah’s return to the lineup after his controversial omission in the previous match, took the lead in the 16th minute when he headed in his 25th goal of the season from Cody Gakpo’s cross. Andrew Robertson doubled Liverpool’s advantage just before halftime, tapping in a rebound after Salah’s initial shot was saved.
Tottenham’s misery continued in the second half as Gakpo and Harvey Elliott extended Liverpool’s lead with two quick goals. Though Tottenham managed to pull back through goals from Richarlison and Son Heung-min, it was too little, too late to salvage their Champions League hopes.
Liverpool’s victory keeps them in mathematical contention for the title, although Arsenal’s lead at the top makes it unlikely.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa’s defeat to Brighton means their Champions League qualification hopes hinge on the outcome of their remaining matches.
Despite the disappointment for Tottenham and Villa, the Premier League’s final matches promise to be gripping affairs with much still at stake.
