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Liverpool clinch Premier League title in dominant fashion
Ian Chadband, AAP • April 28th, 2025 6:30 am
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates after they lifted England's Premier League title | Photo: AP
Liverpool have powered their way to a record-equalling 20th English title, enjoying their Premier League coronation at Anfield with a 5-1 hammering of Tottenham which only shoved Ange Postecoglou ever closer to the Spurs exit door.
In front of their own Anfield disciples on Sunday, Arne Slot's Liverpool overcame the early rude shock of a Spurs goal from Dominic Solanke to pulverise the hapless visitors on their irresistible march to glory.
First-half strikes from Luis Díaz, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo put them in control, before party time really began after the break when Mohamed Salah, inevitably, got in on the act with a fourth before grabbing a phone from a fan in the Kop and treating him to a selfie.
Salah takes a selfie with a fan's phone as he celebrates his goal | Photo: AP
When Destiny Udogie's own goal completed Spurs' misery, it felt like the worst possible way for Postecoglou to take his side into battle in their Europa League semi-final first leg at home to Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt on Thursday.
The consensus remains that Spurs must win the second-string European competition or Postecoglou will get fired, but dismal performances like the one served up at Anfield - Tottenham's 19th defeat of the season as they lie in 16th place - may mean he is doomed any which way.
Postecoglou gave his triumphant counterpart Slot congratulations on their title triumph even before the final whistle had blown as the Liverpool faithful celebrated their first title since 2020 and their 20th in all, equalling the record of their deadly rivals Manchester United.
It was a monumental achievement by manager Slot, who had the seemingly unenviable task of succeeding the hugely successful and popular Jurgen Klopp in the summer.
Dominik Szoboszlai dances with his teammates after their 20th English title win | Photo: AP
"Incredibly proud, but not only of the players. Everyone knows what effort they've put in over the last few years," said Slot, the first Dutch manager to win in the Premier League era and the fifth man to triumph a debut campaign after Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini and Antonio Conte.
Before that era began, Liverpool bosses Joe Fagan (1983-84) and Kenny Dalglish (1985-86) had also won at the first time of asking.
Slot, astonishingly, also achieved the feat with a month of the season remaining, with Liverpool now 15 points clear of Arsenal with four rounds left after being top of the table every day since November 2.
Remarkably, it was the first time in 35 years that the fans at Anfield were able to enjoy witnessing the title being won at their famous old fortress.
During their last win under Klopp five years ago, the season finished behind closed doors because of the COVID lockdown restrictions.
But this time, the most emotional of renditions of "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the 60,415 crowd rang around the third Liverpool cathedral.
It will have been hard to hear for Manchester United fans, who earlier in the afternoon had watched their team scrape a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth through a Rasmus Hojlund goal in added time.
They'd been on course to lose for a 16th time in the league this season after Antoine Semenyo's first-half strike, but the sending off of Evanilson for a lunge on Noussair Mazraoui in the 70th minute helped United's salvage mission.
