Rogers. Van Dijk. Watkins Twice. McGinn. Villa Demolish Liverpool.
Morgan Rogers scored first. Brilliant individual effort. Villa Park alive before half-time.
Van Dijk equalised. Header. Szoboszlai assist. Standard.
Watkins made it 2-1. Then Villa went 3-1. Then 4-1. Van Dijk got a second in stoppage time for 4-2. Did not matter by then. Game long over.
Aston Villa fourth. Champions League confirmed. Istanbul in five days. A perfect week.
Liverpool fifth. Bournemouth and Brentford still below them on points but with a game remaining. Arne Slot called the defeat damaging. It is more than that. Liverpool’s season is falling apart at the worst possible time.
Rogers Was Brilliant in the First Half
Villa had been the sharper side from the first minute. Buendía pulling strings, Rogers driving at the Liverpool backline every time he got the ball.
The goal came from Rogers cutting inside. Not elaborate. He shaped the ball, placed it, far post. 1-0. Villa Park was loud. Liverpool looked vulnerable.
Szoboszlai’s cross into the box was superb. Van Dijk attacked it and his header was powerful enough to beat Martínez. 1-1. Liverpool back level. Momentarily.
Barkley came on for Lindelöf in the second half at half-time. Douglas Luiz dropped deeper. Villa found more rhythm. It showed immediately.
Watkins Was Everywhere
First goal — Watkins in the 68th. Buendía played him in, one touch to control, second touch to finish. Low into the corner. 2-1. Villa Park.
The second goal came later and it was better. A ball played into feet, Watkins turned sharply, his marker had no chance. Shot. Net. 3-1. He wheeled away toward the Holte End and the ground was shaking.
Ollie Watkins at Villa Park this season has been something else. His overall numbers — 12 league goals, nine assists, the tireless pressing that wears defences down. Liverpool had no answer for him on Friday. Nobody did on their best nights this campaign.
McGinn added the fourth in the 89th minute. Watkins assisted. Of course he did. 4-1. Sancho came on from the bench for the last moments. Van Dijk nodded in Szoboszlai’s corner in stoppage time for 4-2. Consolation. Irrelevant.
Liverpool Are in Real Danger
Fourth place going into Friday. Liverpool came to Villa Park needing a result. They left with their Champions League future uncertain.
Bournemouth and Brentford both have one game remaining. Win that and they could leapfrog Liverpool into the top five. Brentford play on the final day. Bournemouth face Newcastle on Sunday.
Slot acknowledged the situation on Sky Sports after the match. He said the defeat was damaging. He said Liverpool had not played well enough for too many weeks. He did not offer excuses.
This was Liverpool’s 12th league defeat of the season. The squad that was supposed to challenge for the title has conceded 50 goals and won 17 games. Something has gone badly wrong in the second half of the campaign.
Mac Allister was poor. Gravenberch gave the ball away repeatedly in the first half. Mamardashvili had no chance with Watkins’ finishing but had a difficult evening on crosses. Isak barely touched the ball in the first half. The team looked beaten before the third goal went in.
Villa Head to Istanbul in the Best Possible Shape
Europa League final in five days. Freiburg. Istanbul. The Atatürk Olympic Stadium.
Emery rotated earlier in the season but not on Friday. Martínez, Konsa, Torres, Cash, Tielemans, Buendía, Watkins — all starting. All delivering. The manager is not treating Istanbul as the only prize. He wants Champions League football too. He got it.
Now the question is whether Villa can win in Istanbul having just beaten Liverpool 4-2. The confidence inside that dressing room on Friday night was enormous. McGinn at 31 is playing the best football of his career. Watkins is unplayable on his day. Buendía runs everything.
Freiburg will watch the footage. They will find it uncomfortable viewing.
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Aston Villa 4-2 Liverpool Premier League Matchday 37 | Friday, 15 May 2026 | Villa Park, Birmingham
Goals: Morgan Rogers (1H) | Ollie Watkins 68′, 78′ | John McGinn 89′ (AVL) | Virgil van Dijk 2 headers (LIV, both assisted Szoboszlai)
Aston Villa XI: Martínez | Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Digne | Tielemans, Lindelöf | McGinn, Barkley, Rogers | Watkins Subs: Barkley (for Lindelöf HT), Douglas Luiz, Sancho (for McGinn 90′), Duran
Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili | Jones, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez | Gravenberch, Mac Allister | Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Wirtz | Isak Subs: Gakpo, Ngumoha (for Frimpong), others
HT: 1-1 | FT: 4-2 Table: Aston Villa 4th (62 pts, Champions League confirmed) | Liverpool 5th (59 pts, final day nerves)
