Arne Slot declined to confirm whether Mohamed Salah has already played his last game for Liverpool after the forward posted on X following the defeat by Aston Villa. The post referenced the club’s former attacking approach and called for a return to that identity.

Salah wrote: “That is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it.” The message was widely interpreted as a criticism of the manager’s changes to Liverpool’s style this season and has divided players, supporters and club figures. Ex-Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney went in hard on Salah.

Slot sought to keep focus on the result ahead of Sunday’s home match with Brentford, a game that will determine Liverpool’s Champions League fate. A draw or better will secure qualification, while defeat would leave them vulnerable to being leapfrogged by Bournemouth if the Cherries beat Nottingham Forest. Only goal difference would separate them.

On selection and the fallout from Salah’s comments, Slot said: “I don’t think it is important what I feel,” adding: “What is [important] is we qualify for the Champions League . I prepare Mo and the rest of the team to be ready.” He stressed a shared objective with the forward: “We want the club to be successful.”

Slot also referenced last season’s success and the standards expected this term. “We were both part of giving the fans the title last year and we haven’t brought that same level this year. What we all want is to be the same success as last season. Will he play? I never say anything about team selection, so I won’t do that now. A lot of ifs but we know what we need Sunday.”

Slot suggested the manager-player relationship and training had shown no obvious disruption this week, but he kept team selection private until matchday.

Liverpool enter the final day of the Premier League season under pressure after taking one point from the last nine available. They sit fifth on 59 points with a goal difference of +10 and can still seal Champions League qualification with a favourable result at home to Brentford this Sunday.

Bournemouth remain the only side able to catch Liverpool. The Cherries are on 56 points with a goal difference of +4 ahead of their trip to Nottingham Forest. Opta give Liverpool a 99.65% chance of qualifying for the Champions League before the finale, a figure helped by Erling Haaland’s 95th-minute effort in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw between Bournemouth and Manchester City, a game which confirmed Arsenal as the successors to Liverpool as champions.

What Liverpool need is straightforward. A win or a draw at Anfield against Brentford guarantees Champions League qualification. The fixture is also notable for being the club farewell to Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson.

Even a defeat would be unlikely to be decisive. Liverpool’s superior goal difference means Bournemouth would require both a win over Nottingham Forest and a swing of seven goals to overtake the Reds. For example, if Liverpool lost 3-0 to Brentford and Bournemouth beat Forest 4-0, the Cherries would leapfrog Liverpool.

That scenario is remote, but it remains mathematically possible. An even less likely outcome would be a playoff to decide fifth place.

With destiny largely in their own hands, Liverpool go into the final match knowing the simplest routes to the Champions League are a draw or any victory. The numbers make their position comfortable, yet the season still contains a small window for a late twist.

Liverpool complete their Premier League campaign at Anfield against Brentford knowing a win or a draw secures Champions League qualification. A defeat, however, would hand the final say to Bournemouth, who travel to Nottingham Forest on the last day.

In the narrowest of scenarios Bournemouth would move level on points if they beat Forest and the Reds lose. A seven-goal swing would then see Bournemouth overtake Liverpool on goal difference. The draft scenario gives a clear example: if Liverpool lost 4–0 and Bournemouth won 3–0 at the City Ground, the Cherries would rise into fifth.

There is a still more unlikely outcome that would require an additional match to separate the two clubs. If Liverpool were to lose 1–0 and Bournemouth win 5–0, then a one-legged clash at a neutral venue would be staged to decide who finishes fifth, as outlined by Opta’s Michael Reid. Yes, seriously. That’s because Liverpool and Bournemouth would be level on all the decisive factors:

After points, goal difference and goals scored are considered, competition rules provide for a playoff when teams remain tied on those metrics. That is the extraordinary backstop in the regulations that could, in theory, determine who takes the final Champions League spot.

Even with these permutations, Opta give Liverpool a 99.65% chance of qualifying for the Champions League. The permutations underline how fine margins and extreme scorelines can open improbable pathways, but the probability that a playoff will be required remains vanishingly small.