Liverpool Champions League qualification: Arne Slot faces crucial final day amid Anfield tension

While Liverpool were officially dethroned as Premier League champions on Tuesday night, Arne Slot's side are all but assured of Champions League football next season.

The Reds have failed to win any of their last three league matches, losing 3-2 to Manchester United and recently falling to a 4-2 loss at the hands of Aston Villa, either side of a dreary 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Anfield.

While they were in danger of being reined in by in-form Bournemouth, Slot's side are more than likely to end fifth in the Premier League table at the end of the season.

Barring any final-day collapse against Brentford at Anfield and a huge victory for Andoni Iraola's Cherries in the Spaniard's final game in charge of the Dorset-based outfit at Nottingham Forest, the Merseyside giants should seal the final spot for Europe's premier club competition.

Liverpool on brink of Champions League qualification

Bournemouth's 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday means that the Anfield club are strong favourites to clinch the final Champions League place.

The Cherries had led Pep Guardiola's side from the 39th minute after Eli Junior Kroupi netted before the break, and they seemed destined to move within one point of the Reds, only for Erling Haaland to level for the Cityzens at the death.

Therefore, Slot's side simply require a single point from their final home match against Brentford on Sunday afternoon to mathematically confirm their spot.

Even if the Merseysiders were to suffer a 13th league defeat of the season, their qualification remains incredibly secure due to a superior goal difference.

The Cherries would need to secure a victory away at Nottingham Forest while simultaneously overturning a substantial six-goal margin against the Merseyside outfit.

Will Champions League football paper over cracks at Liverpool?

Undeniably, the financial benefits of Champions League qualification mean that qualifying for the continent's most prestigious qualification cannot be seen as a negative, especially as the Merseyside club seem like they need a busy summer across all positions.

Apart from replacing departing talisman Mohamed Salah, the Reds may need another body at centre-back and both full-back positions, even if Jeremy Jacquet is set to arrive in the summer from Rennes to add to the bodies in central defence.

With Jeremie Frimpong not fit for purpose at right-back and Andrew Robertson leaving the club, the Anfield giants may look to strengthen in those positions as well.

However, the elephant in the room remains the head coach, whose tenure has deteriorated as his second season has progressed.

Twelve Premier League losses in 37 games have seen Liverpool surrender their title without a fight, and the Dutch manager's run-ins with Salah have revealed that the dressing room is fractured.

The Egyptian's recent social media post supposedly got a few likes from his colleagues, suggesting that the former Feyenoord boss is losing his dressing room authority, if he has not lost it already.

It will be interesting to see if Slot remains in charge of the Merseyside giants next season, given the current state of the two-time Premier League champions.

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