LONDON: Liverpool shattered Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes of finishing in the Premier League’s top four with a 4-2 win that left Aston Villa on the brink of Champions League qualification despite their 1-0 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
Needing a win at Anfield to close the gap on fourth-placed Villa, Tottenham slumped to a fourth successive loss to leave their Champions League hopes in tatters.
Villa are seven points ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham, who have a game in hand but will miss out on the top four if Unai Emery’s men win one of their remaining two matches.
In much-loved manager Juergen Klopp’s penultimate game at Anfield, strikes from Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott pushed Liverpool within five points of leaders Arsenal in the table with two games remaining, and four points behind holders Manchester City, who have a game in hand over both.
Liverpool talisman Salah headed home his 18th league goal of the season in the 16th minute before Robertson doubled their lead with a tap-in just before halftime.
Gakpo headed in Elliott’s cross in the 50th, then the midfielder bagged his own with a rocket from 20 yards out that curled into the top corner.
Richarlison and Son Heung-min pulled two back to make for a lively ending, but a comeback was not on the cards for Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs
A Villa win combined with a Tottenham loss would have sealed a Champions League place for Emery’s side.
But Villa were unable to fulfil their part of that equation as Joao Pedro’s 87th-minute goal condemned them to a second painful defeat in four days.
Ending Brighton’s six-match winless run, Pedro headed in the rebound after Robin Olsen saved his penalty, which had been awarded for Ezri Konsa’s foul on Simon Adingra.
“We competed but we didn’t get a good result and we didn’t deserve more. I don’t want to know anything about Tottenham because it’s in our hands,” Emery said.
At Stamford Bridge, seventh-placed Chelsea thrashed West Ham United 5-0 to keep alive their hopes of European qualification.
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is fighting to convince the club’s co-owner Todd Boehly to give him a second season in charge after his troubled debut campaign.
Pochettino admits it is “not his decision” if he stays, but securing a place in Europe could be enough to avoid the sack.
Cole Palmer put Chelsea ahead in the 15th minute with his 21st league goal of the season, the forward firing home after West Ham failed to clear.
Conor Gallagher doubled Chelsea’s advantage after 30 minutes with a blistering volley after West Ham’s Kurt Zouma deflected the ball towards the midfielder.
Noni Madueke bagged Chelsea’s third six minutes later as the winger turned in Thiago Silva’s header from close-range.
Nicolas Jackson piled on the misery for woeful West Ham in the 48th minute and the Senegal striker bagged his second with 10 minutes left.
In Saturday’s late game, Erling Haaland scored four times as Pep Guardiola’s City thrashed Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-1 to move within one point of Arsenal.
The reigning champions will clinch an unprecedented fourth successive English title if they win their last three matches.
“Nine [more] points, we will be champions. Seven points, six points, three points, Arsenal will win the Premier League,” Guardiola said.
Haaland — who boosted his league scoring lead to 25 with the first four-goal haul of his career — scored from the penalty spot in the 12th minute, then doubled City’s lead in the 35th when he headed home at the far post from Rodri’s cross.
The 23-year-old converted again from the spot just before halftime. Hwang Hee-chan pulled one back for Wolves in the 53rd but Haaland scored his fourth a minute later. Substitute Julian Alvarez completed City’s scoring.
Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2024
