For over an hour, he was shaping up as the match-winner. Instead, Van Dijk was. “A big relief,” sighed Slot. Liverpool’s corners had been unimpressive, both over the afternoon and much of the campaign. But he was able to add: “We saved a big set-piece for a very important moment.”

It appeared the Saints might earn a rare point when Aaron Ramsdale saved Marco Asensio’s 69th-minute penalty, but Ollie Watkins put Villa ahead four minutes later and fellow substitute Donyell Malen swiftly added a finish of his own.