Liverpool’s brighton fixtures race stayed alive after a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday, and Arne Slot’s side still has not sealed Champions League qualification with two league matches left. A win would have all but finished the job, but the draw pushed the race into the final two games.
Slot and Liverpool at Anfield
Chelsea took Liverpool to 1-1 at Anfield, a result that left the Premier League side needing more points to secure a top-five finish. Slot now has to manage a closing stretch that still leaves room for movement at both the top and the edges of the table.
Liverpool’s immediate route is clear. A win at Aston Villa on Friday would secure a spot in the top five, and that single result would remove the pressure from the final day. If they lose at Villa, the season could turn into a nervy home finish against Brentford.
Aston Villa and Brighton
Liverpool still have three rivals in the mix for the top five: Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Brighton. Brighton is the only other side that can still catch Liverpool, and even then it can only finish level on 59 points at best. Brighton are two behind on goal difference at the moment, while Bournemouth sit four points behind Liverpool.
That leaves Liverpool with a buffer, but not a safe one. The margin is slim enough that the race cannot be settled by a single result unless Slot’s team takes care of business in Birmingham.
Villa, Bournemouth and Brentford
The table leaves Liverpool in a narrow lane. Villa also has a Europa League final to contend with, and Pep Guardiola’s side may have a slight hangover from the FA Cup final, while the Vitality Stadium is a difficult away venue for Manchester City.
Even with those complications around them, Liverpool still cannot relax. The draw with Chelsea means the race will run into the penultimate week of the campaign at least, and the club could still finish as low as seventh if the last two matches go badly.
For Slot, Friday at Aston Villa is the sharpest checkpoint left. Win there and Liverpool are in the top five; fail, and the final day at home to Brentford could carry far more weight than anyone at Anfield wanted after Saturday night.
