Liverpool last 5 fixtures compared to Man Utd, Aston Villa and Chelsea

Liverpool took a big step toward a place in next season's Champions League with victory over Everton on Sunday, which leaves it in strong position heading into its final five games

Liverpool is well placed to secure a spot in next season's Champions League(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool is edging ever closer to a place in next season’s Champions League after Sunday’s win over Everton.

Virgil van Dijk’s stoppage-time winner not only gave the Reds bragging rights from the first ever Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but it also strengthened their hold on fifth place, which will once again be enough to qualify for Europe’s top table.

The race isn’t won yet, though, and with five games still to go, Arne Slot and his team will be wary of giving any of their rivals a window of opportunity. It was a good weekend for three of the sides looking to join Arsenal and Manchester City in the Champions League, while one continues to slip away.

Here is how Liverpool’s last five fixtures of the Premier League season compare to its main rivals for the top five - Manchester United, Aston Villa and Chelsea…

Manchester United (3rd - 58pts)

• Brentford (A) - April 27
• Liverpool (H) - May 3
• Sunderland (A) - May 9
• Nottingham Forest (H) - May 17
• Brighton (A) - May 24

United sits highest of the Champions League hopefuls thanks to its superior goal difference compared to Villa, and Michael Carrick's side looks on course to secure its spot in the top five soon.

It needs a maximum of six points to do so, which of course means it could achieve that when it hosts Liverpool at the start of next month. The Reds will be eager to make sure that isn't the case.

It seems like it's just a matter of time though until United's return to the Champions League is confirmed, and it will likely just be a question of how high it can finish.

Aston Villa (4th - 58pts)

• Fulham (A) - April 25
• Tottenham (H) - May 3
• Burnley (A) - May 10
• Liverpool (H) - May 17
• Man City (A) - May 24

Unlike the other teams in this race, Villa still has European duties to take care of, and Unai Emery's side may even be able to qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League.

Chances are they won't need to rely on that though. Like United, Villa now need just six points to secure their place at Europe's top table, and with games against Fulham, Tottenham and Burnley coming up, they will feel confident of wrapping that up soon.

That could be good news for Liverpool, which visits Villa Park in the penultimate game of the season, by which time Emery may be looking to rest some of his bigger names for a European final.

Virgil van Dijk's late winner puts Liverpool in a strong position heading into the final five games(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool (5th - 55pts)

• Crystal Palace (H) - April 25
• Manchester United (A) - May 3
• Chelsea (H) - May 9
• Aston Villa (A) - May 17
• Brentford (H) - May 24

Liverpool has taken a huge step towards Champions League qualification - something which looked to be slipping out of its hands just a few weeks ago.

Back-to-back league wins over Fulham and Everton have now given Slot's side plenty of breathing space, which could be crucial before a very tricky final month.

As things stand, the Reds need nine points to secure their spot in the top five. Given they still have Chelsea to play, they might not even need that.

Chelsea (6th - 48pts)

• Brighton (A) - April 21
• Nottingham Forest (H) - May 4
• Liverpool (A) - May 9
• Tottenham (H) - May 17
• Sunderland (A) - May 24

Chelsea is slipping away quickly from this race, and it is now at the stage where it is relying on its rivals slipping up in order to claw its way back up the table.

Liam Rosenior's side though barely looks capable of scoring at the moment, never mind picking up points, and with just three points seperating it from Fulham in 12th, there is a very real danger the Blues will miss out on Europe completely.

Chelsea's best bet remains catching Liverpool, and should the Reds falter against Palace or United, that will make that game at Anfield on May 9 much more interesting. As things stand though, it doesn't look as though the Champions League will be back at Stamford Bridge next season.