Liverpool approached the final two months of the 2025-26 Premier League season with their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League very much in doubt. In horrible form and with one of the more difficult run-ins amongst the sides competing to finish in the top five, the mood was low.
Now, with a month left, many of the doubts that have grown this season—and in fact go back to January of 2025—remain, but three league wins on the trot and the sides around them stumbling now mean that the Reds
appear safe, with Saturday’s victory over Crystal Palace serving to drive that point home.
“It’s a massive three points today,” Florian Wirtz said of the 3-1 victory that pushed Liverpool all the way up to fourth in the table. “It was clear for us that this game is really important for the qualification for the Champions League. It’s not done yet, we have a few more, but it’s a good step today.
“I think we needed these points, especially at home, so I’m really happy that we keep them here. Of course we knew what was coming with them because we faced them three times, so we knew they play a lot of balls behind, take not much risk, look for deep runs—so I think we defended quite well.
“Of course they had a few chances, but it’s always difficult to keep them from the goal. So I think we did good, the whole team. Everyone defended good, and we knew also that we have the quality to create our own chances and today there were, I think, some more good chances so in the end 3-1 is okay.”
There is now a three-way tie on points with Manchester United third, Liverpool fourth, and Aston Villa fifth. All are on 58 points, and that means all have an eight point cushion on Brighton in sixth—and nine on Bournemouth in seventh—with just four games to play. And Liverpool face United next.
A win there would mean not just rising to third with three to play, it would also put United three points back as a buffer in case one of the sides now chasing the top five do win out. A reverse of that result, of course, could be a little concerning, but the situation feels miles away from a month ago.
