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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Connor O'Neill

What happens if Liverpool and Leicester City finish on same points, same goal difference and goals scored

Alisson Becker helped Liverpool keep their European hopes alive with a last-gasp winner against West Brom at The Hawthorns.

Liverpool won a corner in the final minute of stoppage time and the Brazilian rose inside the crowded box to glance Trent Alexander-Arnold's delivery into the far corner of the net.

Hal Robson-Kanu had fired the hosts ahead after just 12 minutes before Mohamed Salah restored parity just after the half-hour mark.

The victory moves Liverpool a point behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the table and means the race for the top four is heading into the final week of the season.

If Liverpool win both their last two games they will end the season on 69 points and it is impossible for both Leicester and Chelsea to surpass that as they face off this week.

That means who secures a place in the top four could be decided on goal difference, or goals scored if goal difference is level.

Things could be about to get really complicated as if Leicester lose 1-0 at Chelsea and beat Tottenham 3-0 while Liverpool win 2-1 at Burnley, beat Crystal Palace 3-2 and Chelsea win their final game at Aston Villa.

Then that would leave Chelsea third on 70 points in third and Leicester and Liverpool both 69 points, both on a goal difference of 23, both having scored 68 goals.

Premier League rules for classification state that in this unlikely scenario, positions would be decided on the head-to-head record between the two teams.

And the record is close - Liverpool won 3-0 at Anfield in November, Leicester won 3-1 at the King Power in February - so it would be Jurgen Klopp's side who get fourth while Leicester go into the Europa League.

If Leicester hadn't conceded in that home game, it would have gone to a play-off.

And it would have been the first time one has been used in the Premier League.

The latest odds from the bookies have put Liverpool as favourites to join Manchester City and Manchester United in the top four, with Chelsea tipped to join them ahead of Brendan Rodgers' side.

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