The only previous time Unai Emery had beaten Liverpool was in a Europa League final. As, a decade later, he ended a wait for a second, he set Aston Villa up perfectly to emulate his Sevilla side in their continental exploits. He may also end up consigning Liverpool to the competition that has defined him, the Europa League.
But there were reasons why the Champions League anthem was played after the final whistle. Villa will return to the European elite. “Champions League, this is something amazing,” said Emery. Villa may qualify for it twice in five days. Liverpool, falling apart amid an onslaught, may not at all. A 19th defeat of the season was among their grimmest, and not merely for the potential consequences. “Damaging,” conceded Arne Slot.
There was a cruelty, too, for one of the few who should be exempted from blame for this sorry season. Dominik Szoboszlai recorded two assists at Villa Park, taking his tally for the season to 12, but he was involved in three goals, and the most memorable was not scored by Liverpool.
There are plenty of times this season when Szoboszlai has offered echoes of Steven Gerrard. Normally it is a compliment to be compared to the former captain, a catalyst in the No 8 shirt. Not on this occasion, perhaps.
His was not the first ill-timed slip to damage Liverpool over the years, as Gerrard can testify. As Szoboszlai lost his footing and the ball, he allowed Morgan Rogers to provide the dynamic Ollie Watkins with the first of his brace. “We thought we had seen a lot this season but this one we hadn’t,” sighed Slot. “But of course Dominik has had a very good season and he didn’t do it on purpose and he is the first who feels s**t about it.”
That feeling may be shared around Anfield. Liverpool could have a fraught week, unless others take points off Brighton and Bournemouth. For Villa, it may prove a seminal, spectacular one. John McGinn may get his hands on the Europa League trophy in Istanbul; his left foot illuminated this game, his glorious curler bringing Villa’s fourth goal. They have fourth place, too; more pertinently, they lowest they can finish is fifth.
An achievement was clinched in rousing fashion on a raucous night and with the aid of a rampant Watkins. With 10 goals in his last 11 games, the form forward in the country is stepping up his case to go to the World Cup. Omitted by England in March, he has responded. “I think it gave me that fire in my belly to come back and prove to people,” said Watkins. His captain remarked wryly: “I wish he was Scottish.”
In his 53rd appearance of the season, Watkins looked fresh as he overpowered Slot’s side. “Liverpool play a high line and don’t play offside so they’re disjointed at the back and feel like there’s a lot of space for me to run into,” he said, in a damning analysis. Villa were relentless. Liverpool ended up looking a rabble. “After 2-1, we couldn’t find any momentum anymore,” rued Slot. Villa have a striker surfing a wave of it.
When Mohamed Salah announced his summer departure, this may have promised to be a memorable occasion for a forward in the No 11 shirt. So it was; just for Watkins. A fit-again Salah’s penultimate Liverpool appearance came as a substitute. It was more than Alexander Isak managed, the £125m man injured again.
As Liverpool began without the quartet who were supposed to bring their greatest goal threat – Salah, Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike – they seemed short of firepower. Briefly, it felt that Szoboszlai had provided the inspiration again. Yet his twin assists became a footnote; so, too Virgil van Dijk’s double, as the captain headed in twice. “If you go to any away game and you score from two set pieces, usually you are sure of a result,” said Slot. But while Van Dijk has scored eight goals this season, Liverpool have conceded 52 in the Premier League alone.
Two came in sadly familiar fashion. The defending champions top one table, but an unwanted one. No one has conceded as many goals from set-pieces and Villa’s first and third both came from corners. “It is frustrating because as a manager you are also responsible if things are happening time and time again,” said Slot. This felt the same old story.
He rued the loss of nine injured players. But Emery fielded his strongest available side; the one that thrashed Nottingham Forest 4-0 in the Europa League semi-final and the one who could face Freiburg. “Now we can play the final thinking only about the trophy,” said Emery. This was his 600th win as a manager and he summed it up in two words: “Absolutely brilliant.”
Villa’s opener stemmed from a short corner, their set-piece coach Austin McPhee delighted as Liverpool were caught out and Lucas Digne passed to Rogers, who curled in a shot. After Van Dijk’s first goal, Szoboszlai fell on his face. Rogers supplied Watkins.
It came in a frantic few minutes when Liverpool could have led, with Rio Ngumoha whipping a shot against the base of the post and Cody Gakpo skewing the rebound over the bar.
Instead, Villa surged clear. The irresistible Watkins had one goal disallowed. He was then thwarted by Giorgi Mamardashvili. His second arrived instead when the striker poked him his shot after Mamardashvili had parried efforts from Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres; his defence offered him precious little protection.
So Villa signed off for the season in front of their fans in magnificent style. They sang songs about Istanbul, the city where Liverpool won their fifth Champions League. Now the aim for Slot is less glamorous. “Now we know one thing for sure we need a win next week if we have to do it ourselves,” he said. If not, the risk is his season is a failure on all fronts.
