Liverpool still have to work to do in their final four Premier League fixtures to confirm Champions League qualification, as we look at their run-in compared to Man United, Aston Villa and Chelsea
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 25: Alexander Isak of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Anfield
Liverpool sit fourth in the Premier League for the first time since January(Image: Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
The task is nearly complete for Liverpool, though with four matches remaining, the Reds cannot afford to become complacent just yet.
Saturday's 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace, thanks to strikes from Alexander Isak, Andy Robertson and Florian Wirtz, has left Liverpool just six points away from securing qualification for next season's Champions League, and that target could reduce further before their next outing.
Arne Slot and his squad are well aware that a top-five finish will guarantee a place at European football's highest level, and having climbed to fourth, their prospects of achieving that objective have improved considerably.
A challenging final month lies ahead, however, and there remain several sides ready to capitalise on any mistakes. Here's how Liverpool's closing four fixtures stack up against their rivals in the race for the top five...
Manchester United (3rd - 58pts)
United are firmly in the driving seat to secure Champions League football, given they are yet to feature this weekend and have still managed to retain third spot in the standings.
FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page
Victory over Brentford on Monday would virtually seal the deal for Michael Carrick's outfit. That would put them beyond the reach of the Bees and Chelsea, and leave them just two points shy of mathematically guaranteeing a top-five finish.
PL fixtures:
Brentford (h) - Monday, April 27
Liverpool (h) - Sunday, May 3
Sunderland (a) - Saturday, May 9
Nottingham Forest (h) - tbc
Brighton (a) - Sunday, May 24
Liverpool (4th - 58pts)
The Reds are on the brink, and that triumph over Palace could prove vital with a demanding final month of the season now upon them. United, Chelsea and Villa in the next three fixtures is undeniably a challenging run.
Andrew Robertson of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammate Ibrahima Konate during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Anfield on April 25, 2026 in Liverpool, England
Liverpool are now one step closer to securing Champions League qualification(Image: Getty Images)
View 2 Images
As it stands, Liverpool still requires a maximum of six points to secure Champions League football, though climbing to fourth offers a degree of additional breathing room.
PL fixtures:
Manchester United (a) - Sunday, May 3
Chelsea (h) - Saturday, May 9
Aston Villa (a) - tbc
Brentford (h) - Sunday, May 24
Aston Villa (5th - 58pts)
Villa's predicament is further complicated by a Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest to contend with, and Unai Emery will undoubtedly have one eye on that as he considers his selections over the coming weeks.
Much like Liverpool, the maths is straightforward - six points and the job is done. With fixtures against Tottenham and already-relegated Burnley on the horizon, Villa will be confident of wrapping things up sooner rather than later.
PL fixtures:
Tottenham (h) - Sunday, May 3
Burnley (a) - Sunday, May 10
Liverpool (h) - tbc
Manchester City (a) - Sunday, May 24
Brighton (6th - 50pts)
Brighton currently leads the chasing pack, buoyed by their midweek victory over Chelsea, and casting an eye over their next three fixtures, there is plenty of reason for the Seagulls to feel optimistic.
Naturally, they will need at least one of the three sides above them to drop a minimum of eight points across their remaining games, but Fabian Hurzeler's outfit look well positioned to secure a Europa League berth at the very least.
PL fixtures:
Newcastle (a) - Saturday, May 2
Wolves (h) - Saturday, May 9
Leeds (a) - tbc
Brighton (h) - Sunday, May 24
Bournemouth (7th - 49pts)
Bournemouth squandered a golden opportunity to pile the pressure on the likes of Liverpool and Villa after conceding a stoppage-time equaliser against Leeds in midweek.
That could yet prove a devastating blow to their Champions League aspirations, though they will be hopeful of clinching some form of European football.
PL fixtures:
Crystal Palace (h) - Sunday, May 3
Fulham (a) - Saturday, May 9
Manchester City (h) - tbc
Nottingham Forest (a) - Sunday, May 24
Chelsea (8th - 48pts)
Chelsea appear to have fallen out of contention, with the Blues now likely focused simply on securing any form of European football.
Liam Rosenior has paid the price for his side's dreadful run of results, and should Chelsea drop any further points in their remaining fixtures, their Champions League aspirations will be well and truly over.
PL fixtures:
Nottingham Forest (h) - Monday, May 4
Liverpool (a) - Saturday, May 9
Tottenham (h) - tbc
Sunderland (a) - Sunday, May 24
Brentford (9th - 48pts)
Despite sitting ninth, Brentford actually boast the highest potential points tally of any side currently placed outside the top five. That is largely due to the fact that they are yet to play this weekend.
United could in fact do Liverpool a favour by taking all three points on Monday evening, and beyond that, forthcoming trips to the Etihad and Anfield look particularly daunting prospects for Keith Andrews' side.
PL fixtures:
Manchester United (a) - Monday, April 27
West Ham (h) - Saturday, May 2
Manchester City (a) - Saturday, May 9
Crystal Palace (h) - tbc
Liverpool (a) - Sunday, May 24
Buy Blood Red, our monthly Liverpool FC print publication for just £3.50 by clicking here