Liverpool could still qualify for the Champions League thanks to Man United

Jurgen Klopp has hinted a crucial result at Liverpool could see them qualify for next season’s Champions League against the odds

WE TAKE WHAT WE GET” | JÜRGEN KLOPP IF HE WAS HAPPY TO QUALIFY FOR THE EUROPA LEAGUE

While Liverpool may have started to rekindle their Premier League fortunes in recent weeks and mount a five-game unbeaten run to bolster their European qualification hopes, the season remains disappointing for the Reds.

After nearly winning an unprecedented quadruple last year, Jurgen Klopp’s men have known since their emphatic Champions League elimination against Real Madrid in March that they would end the season without winning another major title. Although Liverpool’s league position looks healthier than a few weeks ago, a top-four finish still looks unlikely.

As a result, Klopp is aware that there will be no debate over what counts as his side’s season highlight unless the Reds do ‘something really special’.

“I hope when people talk about it in a few years they come back to it and [say] ‘I was there when we beat Man United 7-0! ‘” he told reporters during his pre-match press conference on Sunday. exit at Tottenham Hotspur.

“And that they might say something nice on top of that.” “And after that, we still qualified”, for anything. It will be fine, but if not, we have to take it too.

While such soundbites suggest Klopp hasn’t quite dropped out of the top four just yet, it looks like Liverpool with six games of the Europa League season to play are more likely to appear next year.
After the final round of the Premier League, the Reds sit seventh in the table, one point behind fifth-placed Aston Villa and sixth-placed Tottenham. With both yet to travel to Anfield, it is up to Liverpool to finish above both.

Yet they are seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, having played one game more and nine points behind third-placed Newcastle United. As a result, both sides will have to endure significant slippages in the coming weeks to fully open the door.

The Magpies host relegation-threatened Southampton and leaders Arsenal in their next two games before traveling to struggling Leeds United. Consecutive home battles with European pursuers Brighton & Hove Albion and relegation-threatened Leicester City followed before ending the season at Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Man United host Villa before traveling to Brighton and West Ham United in the next three games. They then host Wolves and visit Bournemouth before finishing the league season with back-to-back home games against Chelsea and Fulham before meeting bitter rivals Man City in the FA Cup final. Given the variety of sides involved, from title contenders and European ones to sides in the relegation battle, Liverpool’s hope remains that both sides slip enough to gain an aerial advantage.

However, with Newcastle having won seven of their last eight league games, including a 5-1 win against West Ham, a 6-1 win against Tottenham and an emphatic 4-1 win over Everton, in current form you would say they stand with one foot in the way. Champions League next season.

While Newcastle’s recent emphatic victories give them a superior goal difference of +32 to Liverpool’s +22, Manchester United’s is just +9. That memorable win at Anfield gifted the Reds a 14-goal breakthrough against their arch-rivals, giving them a significantly healthier comeback in the process.

If the Red Devils slip and Liverpool take advantage, the gap on goal difference will only widen. With Newcastle looking increasingly impressive at the moment, Liverpool would have the advantage if they were able to finish level on points with Erik ten Hag’s men. Maybe Klopp’s recent comments hinted at this possible scenario?

Of course, that still means they can only register a maximum of 11 points out of their 21 potential points still available, with Liverpool winning the remaining six games. But there is at least something more possible than the 18 in-form Magpies picking up just the eight points required for the Reds to capitalize.

No matter where Liverpool finish this season, that historic 7-0 win will be a result fans will cherish. But if, the end of the season, “they could say something nice on top” and “still qualified” despite such setbacks, it will be even more decisive.