Liverpool drew 1-1 with Brentford on a day of emotional goodbyes to Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson at Anfield.
Salah, making his final appearance for Liverpool, provided the assist for Curtis Jones' opening goal. But Kevin Schade equalised soon after and it was the Bees who came closest to a dramatic winner when Dango Ouattara headed over deep into stoppage time.
That would have been enough to take Keith Andrews' team into Europe for the first time in the club's history. As it was, they had to settle for ninth in the Premier League. Arne Slot's Liverpool finish fifth - and must now rebuild without one of their greatest heroes.
All eyes were on Salah from the start and he almost marked the occasion with a goal early on but saw his free-kick strike the frame of the goal. Ryan Gravenberch had one shot saved by Caoimhin Kelleher. Rio Ngumoha fired a similar effort just wide.
But there were hints of Liverpool's vulnerability too. It needed a dramatic stop from the returning Alisson Becker to deny Schade from point-blank range. As a result, Andrews could claim that his Brentford side had the clearest chance of the first half.
But it was fitting that Salah provided the assist for the opener, a delightful square ball into the path of Jones with the outside of his boot. Liverpool, as so often this season, were unable to push on and it was Brentford left chasing the winner after Schade levelled.
Outtara's miss was agonising for Andrews and Brentford. Their season ends without the European prize they craved. Liverpool's fifth-placed finish is enough for Champions League football. But more will be expected - without Salah and Robertson - next season.
The build-up to the game had come amid acrimony given Salah's barbed comments about Slot, his relationship with the Liverpool boss seemingly broken. But that was put to one side for the occasion as Anfield was able to say a proper goodbye to a true great.
Salah was in tears as he left the field to be substituted late on and was in tears again as the Kop serenaded him afterwards. The Egyptian appeared determined to soak up every last moment and there were touching scenes as his daughters scored in front of the Kop.
His final season as a Liverpool player has clearly not played out as he had hoped. But it was Salah's overall contribution that was in the minds of the fans as Sir Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush looked on. A Liverpool legend and a Premier League legend says farewell.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk speaking to Your Site:
"That's the only positive. The bare minimum that we should try and get out of this poor season. Now we'll say goodbye to legends of the club and the focus is on that right now. Onwards and upwards so we keep going.
"It's been the most challenging year of my career. It's tough to take, tough to go through that as a team. But we are Liverpool. We always come out of it stronger."
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot speaking in the press conference:
"Big clubs have not been able to qualify for Europe in the last few seasons in this league. So we can never take [Champions League qualification] for granted, but it's clear and obvious that we wanted more.
"So, yeah, not what I would have loved us to achieve this season before we started. But taking everything into account, what has happened to us this season. I'm today happy that we've qualified for the Champions League."
Asked specifically if there was anything that he would do differently, Slot replied: "Oh, yeah, many things. I haven't been perfect, but I would have answered this question exactly the same in the year we won the league.
"It would be stupid for me to sit here and say all the decisions I've made were the right ones. But before I made them, it every time felt they were the right ones to make.
"But a lot of times I didn't even have to make decisions or choices, because this was maybe the first time this season that there were no academy players on the bench. And that has been an exception. So if you ask me one word to describe this season, I would describe it with the word: injury."
Brentford's Jordan Henderson speaking to Your Site:
"For me personally, coming back here was emotional. I tried to concentrate on the game but the reaction when I went off was incredible, I had goosebumps.
"It was nice to come back and see the fans. I didn't see them before I left so to come and play here was big for me... it was a nice moment.
"It was an emotional day for everyone but we had a job to do - to try and come here and win the game and qualify for Europe.
"Unfortunately we couldn't quite get over the line. I thought we'd done it with the chance at the end but with everything the lads put in this year, I feel like they deserved it. But sometimes in football, it can be cruel.
"It's tough to take because I felt like the club and the lads deserved to go and play in Europe. But the whole season, they've given everything. Overall, it's a very good season for us."
Brentford head coach Keith Andrews speaking to Your Site:
"We got back level then threw everything at it to try and get the win and unfortunately we couldn't quite get there.
"It was a must-win for us if we wanted to try and get into Europe. But there's so much pride when I think about the players and what they've achieved this year.
"If you look at this game in isolation, we're disappointed we couldn't get a win, but that shows the journey we've been on - we've come to Anfield and are disappointed that we haven't won, which I think says everything about the season we've had.
"We've stabilised, which was the first port of call in the summer. It took a lot of hard work, a lot of honest conversations and good people making good decisions.
"There was real humility and honesty from the group that we needed to come together, stronger than ever. We did that and as the season has gone on, we've grown and grown and everybody has given absolutely everything.
"We'll be better next year. We'll learn a lot from what we've achieved this year. This is a baseline, so we'll continue to push hard."
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June 11: World Cup starts -
June 14:
June 15: Summer transfer window opens
June 17:
June 19: Premier League fixtures released (10am)
July 19: World Cup final
August 22-23: Premier League opening weekend
August 27: Champions League league phase draw
September 1: Transfer Deadline Day (window closes at 11pm UK time)
September 8-10: Champions League matchday 1
May 30, 2027: Premier League final day
