Ever since Liverpool saw their hopes of Champions League qualification ended last season, supporters instead dreamt of a Europa League final appearance in Dublin.

When Jurgen Klopp announced his decision to step down as Reds manager at the end of the campaign back in January, the desire for a farewell party to end all parties in the Emerald Isle grew even more.

However, such fantasies were brutally ended prematurely after Liverpool suffered a shock Europa League quarter-final exit to Atalanta.

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After all, having seen Premier League title-rivals Man City and Arsenal also both surprisingly exit the Champions League at the quarter-final stage earlier this week, Liverpool’s elimination ensures none of the trio can enjoy any advantage over their foes when it comes to navigating a reduced schedule during the final month of the campaign.

However, their exits could still have a decisive knock-on effect when it comes to deciding this year’s Premier League title-race.

With Aston Villa now the last English side standing in Europe this season, the Premier League’s chances of having five teams qualify for next season’s Champions League are as good as over.

Italy clinched the first additional berth on Thursday, partly thanks to Atalanta knocking out Liverpool, with Germany now best-placed to clinch the second spot courtesy of having Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals, and Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League semi-finals.

For England to topple Germany and clinch that fifth qualifying spot, Aston Villa would need to win both legs of their Europa Conference semi-final against Olympiakos and then the final, while all three German sides would need to lose both legs of their respective semi-finals.

Consequently, the race for Champions League qualification is about to heat up in the Premier League, with fourth spot highly-likely to be the last qualifying berth.

Aston Villa currently occupy the spot, sitting eight points behind third-placed Liverpool and three points ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

But what it does mean is that both Villa and Spurs will have to fight that little bit harder to qualify for next season’s Champions League, with fifth spot no longer likely to be enough.

Tottenham were already likely to play a decisive role in the Premier League title-race, given they are still to face the Premier League’s top three.

But as Liverpool look to regroup after their shock Europa League quarter-final exit, the knock-on effect to the race for Champions League qualification could in fact offer the Reds something of a silver lining as Klopp refuses to give up hope of finishing his Anfield reign as a two-time Premier League champion.


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