Liverpool have left themselves with a mountain to climb on the final day of the season following a chaotic 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa. Despite a captain’s performance from Virgil van Dijk, who bagged a brace, the Reds were undone by a clinical Villa attack and now find themselves displaced from the top five.
A win over Unai Emery’s side would have confirmed their place in the Champions League next season, though dropping five points in their last two games puts the pressure on Arne Slot’s side to get a result at Anfield in the final game of the 2025/26 season.
Villa took the lead just before the half-time whistle when a corner was played short, which found Morgan Rogers. The 23-year-old had the composure to set the ball out before calmly curling it into the far corner.
It was a quick start to the second half as Liverpool drew the game level when Dominik Szoboszlai’s well-placed free kick found the head of his captain, Virgil Van Dijk, and after a lengthy VAR check, it was given. Unfortunately for the Hungarian, he went from hero to zero after slipping from a throw-in, a catalyst for Villans to retake the lead through Ollie Watkins.
Dominik Szoboszlai has now assisted Virgil van Dijk on seven occasions. The only player he has assisted more often for Liverpool is Mohamed Salah (8). #LFC https://t.co/vUyEVUIzBG
— Liam Bekker (@LiamBekker) May 15, 2026
Watkins added his second moments later, and John McGinn would cap off an excellent performance ahead of their Europa League final. Van Dijk did grab a second but there is only one word to describe Liverpool’s display. Humiliating.
Here are the ReadLiverpool player ratings.
Giorgi Mamardashvili – 4
He looked erratic at times in the meeting, almost allowing Unai Emery’s men to take an early lead after failing to get onto a loose ball. He made two great saves to deny Watkins from scoring a brace, and could do little with either goal due to how open Slot’s side was at the back.
Joe Gomez – 3
Almost all of Villa’s success came down the Liverpool right hand side. Gomez was the target for much of their success. In the second half, he struggled a lot and was regularly found out of position as they push forward multiple times in search of a third.
Ibrahima Konate – 4
Konate was looking to make passing into adventurous areas of the pitch, but the lack of movement in front of him was frightening. The space behind him was under the pressure of the team, which they took control of.
Virgil Van Dijk – 6
He got two goals on a dreadful evening, his first offered a possibility for his team to get back into the game with a header which found the back of the net. As the game opened up more, Watkins was a real issue, though the captain was the best defender later into the match.
Milos Kerkez – 5
Unlike on the right side, they looked stronger on the left side of the defence, and it had much to do with the resilience of the Hungarians. His strong tackles and hunger to win the ball back was what was needed despite an embarrassing defeat.
Curtis Jones – 4
Almost no saying on the match in the second half in a game that saw him by. In the first half, he was one figure who tried to look to play forwards, though once Emery’s troops got back into the groove of things, he had little to do.
Alexis Mac Allister – 4
In the opening stages of the second half, he played well in making the correct challenges though he threw that away with theatrics when up against Ezri Konsa, which would allow the Villans to take a 3-1 lead.
Ryan Gravenberch – 4
He was easily beaten and pushed off the ball by the midfielders at Emery’s disposal throughout the game, and just like almost every other player, he had no impact on the match, which ended in misery once again. His strike almost allowed Gakpo to open the score in the first half, but he was offside.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 6
He had quite the evening at Villa Park. He was the man who led the comeback for the Reds after a lovely free kick found Van Dijk’s head; however, his mistake was costly in making sure the home side came away with three points. He did well through stages and was just unlucky with how their second goal came about
Rio Ngumoha – 7
A bright spark in the first half, that would fade as the match went on. He came agonisingly close to giving the Reds a lead when his effort from range cannoned off the post, before it was blazed over by Gakpo. On another day, it could have been key to picking up much-needed points.
Cody Gakpo – 3
The Dutchman has had a lot of scrutiny this campaign for his performances, and this match was an example why. A lack of runs into dangerous spaces, little linkup with teammates and constantly finding himself in an offside position. A tough day at the office.
Substitutes
Federico Chiesa – 5
Had a chance late on in the match which forced Emi Martinez into a good save to make sure a comeback wasn’t on the cards.
Federico Chiesa has come on to make his 50th appearance for Liverpool. He's the first Italian to reach the milestone for the club. #LFC 🇮🇹
— Liam Bekker (@LiamBekker) May 15, 2026
Florian Wirtz – 4
The German was brought on to change the fate of the match, though Villa pushed forward which didn’t allow him to have any creative input.
Mohamed Salah – 5
His final away game as a Red ended in a defeat as a late sub. He tried to make something special happen, but couldn’t.
Arne Slot – 1
A complete and utter embarrassment away from home, a running theme in a horror season. The system seems to switch on a dime, and neither players nor fans know what to expect. Confidence seems shot on the pitch and in the stands, and as the Villa fans chant ‘sacked in the morning’, it leaves Kopites wondering how many more chances does he get, after losing their 12th league game of the season.