In a thrilling Friday night showdown, Aston Villa’s 4-2 victory over Liverpool didn’t just secure three points—it punched their ticket to next season’s Champions League. With that massive goal achieved, the pressure is off Unai Emery’s side as they head into their final week of matches. But here’s where it gets interesting for the Premier League title race: Villa now have little to play for against Manchester City next week, which could shift the dynamics of the entire season.

Villa’s focus now turns to the Europa League final against Freiburg on Wednesday. While winning that trophy would normally be a path back to the Champions League, they’ve already secured their spot through league finish. So, their motivation is purely about lifting silverware—not about qualification. That means their final Premier League game against City is essentially a dead rubber, with only prize money for fourth versus fifth place at stake. For Arsenal fans hoping Villa might do them a favor and slow down City’s title charge, this is disappointing news.

On the flip side, Bournemouth are in a completely different mindset. The Cherries still have everything to play for as they host City on Tuesday. With two possible routes to Champions League football, their final two games are must-watch. The simplest path? Win both matches and hope Liverpool drop points against Brentford, allowing Bournemouth to leapfrog them into fifth. The more complicated route involves Villa winning the Europa League and finishing fifth (not fourth), which would bump the Champions League qualification spot down to sixth place.

Here’s the twist: if Villa beats Freiburg and loses to City—both very plausible outcomes—Bournemouth could snatch a Champions League berth from sixth place, regardless of Liverpool’s result against Brentford. That makes the Reds’ final game largely irrelevant to Bournemouth’s hopes. So, while Villa’s win might have cooled their own fire, it’s lit a spark under Bournemouth—and that could have huge implications for the title race.