VILLA PARK staged a Champions League qualification shootout as an Aston Villa side gearing up for their first major European final since 1982 welcomed Arne Slot’s Liverpool side to Villa Park with both teams knowing that a victory would confirm their qualification into next season’s competition.

Goals from Morgan Rogers, John Mcginn and an Ollie Watkins brace ensured that it was the Villa Park faithful who were bellowing out the Champions League anthem at the final whistle with their team running out 4-2 winners

All eyes were on Unai Emery’s team selection with many anticipating a weakened lineup to protect his big hitters for Wednesday’s Eiuropa League Final against Freiburg, but the Villa boss named his strongest available team with Champions league qualification by any means clearly the priority.

Both teams had chances in the first half to take the lead with a Cody Gakpo goal being ruled out for offside and Watkins testing the returning Giorgi Mamardashvili with a low effort which the Liverpool keeper saved comfortably.

And despite the away side looking the more comfortable as the first half wore on, it was the Villains who opened the scoring five minutes before half-time following a very well executed corner routine.

A Lucas Digne short corner to Mcginn after Rogers had initially made a decoy run to receive the ball, saw the Villa captain return the ball to the Frenchman, before Digne found Rogers with a short pass in acres of space in the Liverpool box.

The England man had time and space to then shape a beautiful curled effort beyond the Liverpool keeper’s dive into the far corner of the net to send his team into the break 1-0 up.

Six minutes into the second half, Liverpool equalised when a Dominik Szoboslai free kick was headed home by Virgil Van Dijk and then almost took the lead a few minutes later when a mesmerising run from youngster Rio Ngumoha saw the winger cut inside and curl a shot towards the far corner with his effort cannoning off the foot of the post.

But two minutes later it was the home side who regained the lead following a Szoboslai slip that was reminiscent of a previous occupant of the number 8 shirt.

It was a simple throw-in from his countryman Milos Kerkez that should have been easily collected by Liverpool’s number 8, but as he was closed down by Rogers, the Hungarian slipped, allowing Rogers to nick the ball off him and instantly square a short ball to Watkins who clipped his effort into the far corner of the net past the dive of Mamardashvili.

The England striker notched his second of the game when a half cleared corner was volleyed back towards goal by Youri Tielemans, with his effort being parried into the path of Rogers by the Liverpool keeper, who saved the midfielder’s follow-up effort, but was powerless to prevent Watkins slamming home his effort from close range.

The game was wrapped up in 88th minute when a sublime Mcginn left-footed curler from the edge of the box flew into the top corner of the Liverpool net, sending Villa park into rapturous celebrations.

Van Dijk scored his second of the match in injury time with another header from another Szoboslai cross, but it was little consolation for a Liverpool, side who now go into the last game of the season potentially needing a victory against Brentford to guarantee their participation in next seasons Champions League.

With Champions League qualification guaranteed for Emery’s men, they can travel to Istanbul in buoyant mood.