Liverpool still has decisive role to play this season after $23m Man United blow confirmed

Liverpool had a more illustrious conclusion to the campaign in mind. There were hopes of a parade at the end, with Jürgen Klopp set to show off at least a couple of new trophies, and potentially as many as four.

One by one, however, those possibilities faded. Manchester United knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup, Atalanta inflicted the most surprising blow of all in the Europa League, and Premier League hopes wilted over a succession of sub-par results.

Arguably, Manchester United was the trigger for that collapse too, so Liverpool will have even more ill-feeling than usual towards the old foe. In fairness, though, Klopp will know that more than anything else, his team sabotaged its own chances.

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When the dust settles and the disappointment is less raw, Liverpool will reflect on a reasonable campaign. The Carabao Cup trophy was secured, and the Reds now look certain to return to the Champions League for the first season under Arne Slot, having slipped out of the top four altogether last season.

Klopp can make mathematically certain of that with a win against Spurs on Sunday, and in fact Aston Villa may already have settled the issue if it drops points earlier in the day. But barring highly unlikely goal difference swings, Liverpool can already assume it is back at Europe's top table, with a third-placed finish all but assured.

So is the rest of the season a formality? In part, yes, and Liverpool should just treat it as a celebration of the Klopp era. But other teams will be keeping a keen eye on the results.

For one thing, Liverpool still plays Aston Villa and Spurs, so it could have a major impact on who finishes fourth. With Borussia Dortmund's win against PSG last night, it was confirmed that the Premier League would not be getting a fifth qualifying spot for next season's Champions League, making that a hugely significant battle.

Manchester United might once have been looking hopefully at fourth place, but it is now mathematically out of reach. However, the loss of the extra qualifying spot has a trickle-down effect, and it will now be fearing for its Europa League status.

Liverpool, obviously, would rather have won the Europa League. But its unexpected exit has at least wreaked havoc on some of its rivals by dooming England to failure in the UEFA coefficient race — even if Manchester United did plenty of the damage itself with the group stage elimination.

Manchester United will be keen to at least salvage Europa League football. Though nowhere near as lucrative, victory for Liverpool this season would have ended up being worth about $23m (£18m/€21m) in prize money, marginally more than Erik ten Hag's side made from its brief Champions League escapades.

But with fifth place now a Europa League spot rather than a Champions League spot, the picture is complicated. Assuming one of Aston Villa and Spurs takes that place, the remaining place goes to the FA Cup winner.

However, that will either be Manchester United — in which case it would be problem solved — or Manchester City, in which case the extra Europa League spot would slide down to sixth place. So Ten Hag's side still has a reasonable shot of qualification.

Reasonable, but far from guaranteed. Manchester City is overwhelming favorite for the FA Cup final, and Chelsea would actually leapfrog Manchester United into sixth by winning its two games in hand. Meanwhile, Newcastle is just a point back.

The loss of the extra place being confirmed, then, has certainly served as a blow to Manchester United. It will have to scrap to avoid the Conference League, while Liverpool's results will significantly shape the remaining Champions League places.

Liverpool.com says: Liverpool doesn't really have much of a horse in the race for the final Champions League spot. It will obviously just try and beat both Aston Villa and Spurs, and let the chips fall where they may.

Fortunately, winning both games would be highly unlikely to help out Manchester United, with a top-four finish out of reach and fifth looking very implausible as well. Liverpool already dealt the damage to its big rival by crashing out of Europe, and Germany earning the extra spot will cause an almighty scramble for the one Europa League spot still up for grabs.