What Aston Villa need for Champions League qualification after Liverpool draw

Aston Villa’s bid to secure Champions League football moved a step closer with a draw with Liverpool.

Villa had to settle for a point in their 3-3 draw with Liverpool at Villa Park. Youri Tielemans was on the scoresheet and he was backed up by a Jhon Duran brace to earn an equalizer for Villa after going 3-1 on their home turf.

The result means Villa remain fourth in the Premier League table and five points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. Villa travel to face Crystal Palace this weekend in their final game of the campaign.

Despite picking up a point, Champions League football is still not confirmed for Villa. There is still the possibility that they will be overtaken by Tottenham in the final week of the season.

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Spurs face Manchester City on Tuesday night in what will be their game in hand against Spurs. Anything but a win for Tottenham would secure fourth place for Villa and with it a place in next season’s revamped Champions League.

If Tottenham claim victory over Man City then the race for the top four will go into the final day of the season. A win for Spurs would put them two points behind Villa with just a game to play.

While Villa travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace, Tottenham are also on the road. Ange Postecoglou’s side head to South Yorkshire to face bottom club Sheffield United, who are already relegated to the Championship.

A draw for Villa against Palace would almost certainly secure fourth place, mainly due to their superior goal difference. In that scenario, Spurs would need to overcome the eight-goal gap to Villa in their last two games against Man City and Sheffield United.

With Villa securing a point against Liverpool, the only way Tottenham can qualify for the Champions League is by winning their last two games and hoping Villa lose to Palace. If that doesn’t happen, Villa look set to finish fourth and Spurs will have to settle for Europa League football next season.