LONDON, May 8: Arsenal defeated Liverpool 3-1 at Highbury on Sunday to send Everton into the Champions League and end the Anfield giants’ hopes of clinching fourth place in the Premiership which would have meant automatic qualification for the European showpiece. Now Liverpool, who face AC Milan in this season’s Champions League final in Istanbul on May 25, must win the title and then hope UEFA have a change of heart and allow them to defend their crown.

Meanwhile, Arsenal need just a point from their last two games to be sure of finishing second in the Premiership which would give them automatic entry into the group stage. That would leave Manchester United in third place and having to qualify for the later stages of the tournament.

The Gunners had gone down to a last-minute defeat against Liverpool in November when Neil Mellor’s long-range drive deep into injury time put a further dent in their hopes of retaining the championship.

But on Sunday, goals from Robert Pires, Jose Antonio Reyes and Cesc Fabregas wrapped up what turned into a torid battle between two of England’s heavyweights.—AFP