Having celebrated their Premier League title success at this stage last year, Liverpool now aim to play the role of party poopers.
Victory at Villa Park in their final away game would secure Champions League qualification and effectively seal fourth place ahead of Aston Villa.
The hosts, meanwhile, will look to build momentum before their Europa League final against Freiburg in Istanbul next week.
A win would all but confirm a top-four finish for Liverpool given their superior goal difference, while a draw would leave qualification to be decided on the final day against Brentford.
Despite recent setbacks – a 1-1 draw with Chelsea and a 3-2 defeat at Manchester United – the Reds remain in control of their destiny.
Mohamed Salah is expected to return on the bench after a minor hamstring issue, while Alexander Isak could start. Doubts remain over Alisson Becker and Florian Wirtz.
Liverpool will also look to improve an away record that ranks among the league’s worst and address defensive issues, having conceded 48 goals this season.
With Andy Robertson set to depart and further changes expected, the squad is heading for another rebuild, with Jeremy Jacquet already arriving from Rennes.
Arne Slot, however, remains confident he has identified the team’s problems and can deliver improvement next season.
Slot said: “We are further away than last season! By the way, are we further away from the playing style (of last season)? I don’t think so, but it has been less successful.
“So if I can compare this game against Chelsea (last week) with last season against Chelsea, then last season Chelsea were by far the better team on the pitch. But no-one remembers that because we won 2-1 and we won the league, so everything is great about last season.
“The reality is we were much more dominant against them (this time) than last season, and I’m not saying that we were great, absolutely not.
“What has been said a lot about us football-wise? What are the pundits saying we are not doing well enough?
“I think a lot has been said that we have been counter-attacked too much and that we were too open against counter-attacks. If you are too open against counter-attacks that can only come because you take a lot of risks – it is quite an offensive thought, isn’t it?
“So that says a lot about our intentions. If you are too open and you are attacked too much on the counter-attack that must be because you are attacking. You cannot be counter-attacked if you are in a low block.”
Slot added: “Can we do it better when we are in the final third? That is clear and obvious. And can we protect the counter-attacks better? That is also obvious.
“I don’t think we are counter-attacked so many times but when it happens it usually leads to goals. Is it too easy to play through our press? That is 100% true. For large parts of our season it has not been as good as the season before.
“I know exactly what is needed to correct that.”
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