'We failed' - Mohamed Salah admits he's 'totally devastated' after Liverpool miss out on Champions League spot

• Winger admitted he was 'devastated' with finish
• Called Champions League football 'bare minimum'
• Liverpool certain to finish fifth after United beat Chelsea

WHAT HAPPENED? Manchester United officially grabbed the last spot in next year's Champions League by beating Chelsea 4-1 on Thursday night. Their win removed Liverpool from contention, leaving the Reds to settle for Europa League football. Salah took to Twitter to express his disappointment at Liverpool's fifth-placed finish.

WHAT THEY SAID: "I’m totally devastated. There’s absolutely no excuse for this We had everything we needed to make it to next year’s Champions League and we failed," he wrote.

"We are Liverpool and qualifying to the competition is the bare minimum. I am sorry but it’s too soon for an uplifting or optimistic post. We let you and ourselves down."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Liverpool have enjoyed a strong run of form to finish the season, and have won eight of their last nine games. But top-four competitors Man United and Newcastle have held them off, leaving the Reds out of the Champions League for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? The Reds finish their season with a trip to already-relegated Southampton, where manager Jurgen Klopp can afford to rotate, with the Reds now certain to finish fifth.