Firmino snatches point on Anfield finale
THOUGH Roberto Firmino will be able to look back on a pleasing late contribution on his final Anfield appearance, the big picture is that Liverpool are now almost certainly going to be without Champions League football for the first time in seven seasons.
Firmino’s 89th-minute equaliser that produced an outpouring of emotion from player and fans alike has delayed official confirmation but for Jurgen Klopp’s side to now finish in the top four, they have to beat Southampton next Sunday — and count on Manchester United losing both of their remaining games, or Newcastle losing their last two with a seven-goal swing.
It’s not going to happen and, after a seven-match winning run, there was disappointment in Liverpool’s performance here. Aston Villa, who have climbed from 15th to seventh since Unai Emery was appointed in October, deserved the lead given to them by Jacob Ramsey after 27 minutes and also missed a penalty from the unusually wasteful Ollie Watkins.
Klopp accepted his side have not been good enough to qualify for the Champions League, saying: ‘I think the whole season is rather a season where we qualify for Europa League than for Champions League. We were for too long not good enough or ourselves.’
The home crowd were frustrated by Villa’s timewasting tactics and the sense of injustice only increased when Cody Gakpo’s equaliser was ruled out because Virgil van Dijk was judged offside in the build-up — even though Ezri Konsa got the final touch on the way to the big Dutchman. VAR ruled it was a deflection by Konsa rather than a deliberate touch and John Brooks agreed after checking his monitor.
Even so, there was a grand finale with Firmino and fellow departee James