Jubilation for one side, harsh criticism for the other. Arne Slot openly admits lack of faith in his team

Unai Emery's squad never trailed during Friday's match, showcasing an attractive brand of football at a crucial stage of the season. The four goals against Liverpool not only secure a significant Champions League financial boost for Aston Villa but also provide a strong impetus ahead of their Europa League final clash against Freiburg.

“Absolutely fantastic and brilliant. I am very grateful for the fans' support. This achievement is truly incredible; we have 62 points and a guaranteed spot in the Champions League. Since I arrived here, I had never managed to beat Liverpool until now. I believe we deserved this. The Premier League was our primary goal, and now we can play for a trophy in the Europa League final with less pressure,” Emery stated on the club's official website.

Liverpool initially managed to respond to their opponent's opening goal, but their hopes of success crumbled within approximately 33 minutes. While their Champions League qualification fate remains in their own hands, the Reds' current form is far from ideal. This season, they have now recorded their nineteenth defeat.

“We needed to win. We know that next week we have to win if we want to control this situation ourselves. We didn't get the desired result, or rather, the victory, today. The game could have gone our way, but we didn't seize the moment when we were 2-1 down, and then we conceded twice more. At this moment, I don't have enough confidence that next season will be much better. However, it's clear what needs to be done for a fresh start and where progress is needed,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot commented at the post-match press conference.

Aston Villa is experiencing far more joyous moments, on the cusp of their first European trophy since 1982. They began the season with a five-game winless streak, yet before the final round, they are guaranteed to finish no lower than fifth place.

“It's an amazing achievement. At the beginning, there was a lot of negativity and doubt, but we turned it around with some great performances. In the Champions League, we'll play against many amazing teams, and it's a competition everyone watches and wants to be in. Now we have the Europa League final ahead of us, which everyone is looking forward to, and we'll leave everything out on the pitch,” said Ollie Watkins, who scored two goals.