Liverpool’s elimination from the Europa League significantly impacted the Premier League’s Champions League qualification competition.
Ever since last season saw Liverpool’s hopes of Champions League qualification dashed, fans began envisioning a Europa League final appearance in Dublin.
When Jurgen Klopp announced his decision to step down as Reds manager at the end of the campaign in January, the desire for a grand farewell party in the Emerald Isle intensified.
However, those dreams were abruptly shattered after Liverpool experienced a stunning exit from the Europa League quarter-finals against Atalanta. Despite being the favorites throughout the season to win the tournament, a 3-0 defeat in the first leg at Anfield ultimately sealed their fate, leaving them without even a chance to compete for a spot in the final.
Inevitably, the Reds faced a disappointing blow. Nonetheless, those maintaining an optimistic outlook might discern small positives.
Following the surprising exits of Premier League rivals Man City and Arsenal from the Champions League quarter-finals earlier this week, Liverpool’s elimination ensures none of the trio hold an advantage over their opponents in navigating a reduced schedule during the campaign’s final month.
Both Arsenal and Liverpool, trailing league-leaders City by two points, now have only six league matches left to focus on and prepare for entirely. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s squad will also vie to defend the FA Cup before facing Chelsea at Wembley in the upcoming semi-final.
Whether the extra time on the training ground and reduced minutes on the field at the critical juncture of the campaign outweighs the potential blow to confidence from early European elimination remains uncertain. Yet, none of the three teams have gained a reframed ‘boost’ as a consequence.
However, their eliminations could still exert a decisive influence on this year’s Premier League title race.
With Aston Villa now the sole English representative in Europe this season, the Premier League’s prospects of securing five teams for next season’s Champions League appear slim.
Italy secured the initial additional qualifying spot on Thursday. Atalanta’s victory over Liverpool played a crucial part in this outcome. Currently, Germany stands as the frontrunner to claim the second berth. This is due to the strong presence of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals, and Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League semi-finals.
For England to surpass Germany and secure the fifth qualifying spot, Aston Villa must triumph in both legs of their Europa Conference semi-final against Olympiakos, as well as in the final. Additionally, all three German teams would need to suffer defeat in both legs of their respective semi-final matches.
Consequently, the Premier League is witnessing an intense battle for Champions League qualification. The fourth position appears to be the last qualifying berth up for grabs.
Aston Villa presently occupies this position, trailing third-placed Liverpool by eight points and leading fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur by three points. However, they have played one more game than all other teams in the top seven of the Premier League.
Despite boasting a superior goal difference to Spurs (+19 to +16), a victory alone in their outstanding match against Chelsea may not be sufficient for Aston Villa to leapfrog their rivals.
With Spurs set to gain an additional game in hand this weekend, the race for qualification is bound to witness further twists and turns in the final month of the campaign.
Both Aston Villa and Spurs must now intensify their efforts to secure qualification for the next season’s Champions League, as fifth place is no longer deemed sufficient.
Tottenham was already anticipated to play a pivotal role in the Premier League title race, given their upcoming matches against the league’s top three teams.
On Sunday 28 April, they will host Arsenal in the North London derby, followed by a trip to Anfield on Sunday 5 May. Their penultimate game of the season will see them hosting Man City on Tuesday 14 May.
The team likely needs points to challenge Aston Villa and potentially reshape the top three, with their Champions League aspirations hanging in the balance. Hosting both Arsenal and Man City could provide a glimmer of hope for Liverpool’s title ambitions.
Meanwhile, Villa will host the Reds on Monday 13 May at Villa Park, just four days after their Europa Conference League semi-final second leg against Olympiakos.
Emery’s side might experience different scenarios after their European journey, including riding a wave of success, suffering from fatigue, or feeling demoralized after an exit. Despite the focus usually being on silverware, Villa’s unexpected top-four position adds complexity to their priorities.
This week has been challenging for Premier League teams in Europe. Despite Liverpool’s Europa League quarter-final disappointment, the race for Champions League qualification could offer them a silver lining as Klopp remains determined to end his Anfield tenure as a two-time Premier League champion.
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