Alan Pardew: "It just consolidates our position, we've been 10 points ahead of the group all season below us and we have stretched that with Liverpool today and so now we've just got to make sure we see it home and take this club into Europe.
"I think our fans deserve it, they have been absolutely outstanding following us all season and it would be a bit of a disappointment if we don't get there now.
"We could suffer because the losing FA Cup finalists could get a European place before ourselves, and that cannot be right.
"A team plays 38 games in a season, and - should it be the case - the losing cup finalists get a place? That cannot be right."