‘Too many…’ – Slot admits one thing about Liverpool’s season has been nowhere near good enough

“Villa away is always difficult but we’ve dropped points in away games where we usually don’t. That is one of the reasons why we have not qualified yet for the Champions League.

“The first challenge is to be fitter and more ready to play every three days next season. We’ve had more than a few times a good spell after 70-80 minutes, but that goes hand-in-hand with dropped points in late phases of the game.”

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Liverpool’s away record makes for frightful reading

Unless Liverpool win tomorrow night, they’ll end the Premier League season with more defeats than victories on the road, and with a negative goal different from away matches in the top flight.

Such have been their woes on their travels that even relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur have won more away points (26) than the Reds (24), and Villa’s record at home is strong (11 wins out of 18 in the league, two of which came against Arsenal and Manchester City).

Liverpool away record in all competitions in 2025/26

While we’ve lost at Chelsea, Brentford, Man City, Bournemouth, Brighton this season straight after Champions League assignments, there have been no such midweek distractions in the lead-up to tomorrow’s fixture, having not played since Saturday lunchtime.

It’s actually Emery’s side who could be sidetracked by continental commitments, with the Europa League final against Freiburg to come next Wednesday, and that’s a situation Liverpool must use to their advantage at Villa Park.

Away wins have been all too rare in this campaign, but if the Reds can pick up one more on Friday night, they’ll at least ensure that Anfield plays host to Champions League nights again next term, when Slot has insisted he’ll still be in charge.