Liverpool 4-0 Brighton

Liverpool have ended their 2017/18 Premier League campaign in the same position as they finished the previous one; fourth.

As with 12 months ago, when they defeated Middlesbrough 3-0 on the final day, the finishing position was attained via a comfortable home win.

The result helped the Champions League finalists to complete an unbeaten league season at Anfield; only the second of those in the past 30 campaigns.

It was also their sixth consecutive clean sheet in the league at their iconic stadium as the hosts once again managed to perform well at both ends of the pitch.

In truth their was little to test them from a Brighton & Hove Albion side who were already safe and couldn’t match either the quality or intensity of their hosts.

Team wise, with a positive result required to confirm a top-four finish, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp unsurprisingly named arguably his strongest available X1.

His selection was hampered by the absence of vice-captain James Milner due to a muscular injury, which casts doubts over his availability to face Real Madrid on Saturday week, but boosted by the inclusion of Sadio Mané, who hadn’t trained much in the build-up due to a knock.

In addition to first club goals for Dominic Solanke and Andrew Robertson, there was a first at Anfield in the league for Dejan Lovren and a record-breaking 32nd in the league this season from Mohamed Salah for a packed Anfield to cheer.

Changes to the qualification process mean the Reds will go straight into the Champions League group stages next term and not have to come through a play-off, unlike this season

ARIS