Liverpool’s top-four battle took a new turn, but a win at Leicester on Monday night could secure European football for 2023–24.
Jurgen Klopp has overseen eight seasons on Merseyside, and the Reds have participated in European competitions in all but one of those seasons. This will almost certainly continue in the upcoming season.
The ultimate goal would, of course, be to place in the top four and guarantee participation in the Champions League for the seventh consecutive season, but Man United’s 2-0 victory over Wolves on Saturday has made Liverpool’s task even more challenging.
In the current Premier League standings, the teams in fifth and sixth place will compete in the Europa League the following campaign, while the team in seventh place will advance to the Europa Conference League.
The FA Cup winners are typically handed a place in the Europa League, but with finalists Man United and Man City both set to finish in the top five, an additional spot will be awarded to the team in sixth.
The Reds would surpass Tottenham (seventh) and Aston Villa (eighth), both of whom can finish with a maximum of 63 points, if they defeated Leicester on Monday night, raising their season total to 65 points.
Since sixth place would become the worst possible result mathematically, three points at the King Power would ensure that Liverpool will compete in the Europa League the following campaign.
Due to their vastly superior goal difference, a draw would likely put them outside of reach of Spurs and Villa.
There are still four teams vying for third and fourth, though, after Brighton defeated Arsenal 3-0, effectively ending the Gunners’ title hopes.
Fans will understandably find anything less than a top-four finish disappointing after growing accustomed to participating in Europe’s premier club competition each year.
With many supporters voting against wanting to participate in European competition outside of the Champions League in a recent poll, supporters may be split on the idea of competing in the second tier of the pyramid.
But the manager and his team will undoubtedly not have that attitude; instead, they will be striving for the best result in order to gain some much-needed momentum for the upcoming season.
