It was 343 days ago when Jurgen Klopp stood in the Anfield centre circle and delivered an emotion-fuelled farewell speech.
“It doesn’t feel like an end, it just feels like the start,” he reassured a fanbase concerned about what the future looked like without him in it.
“Change is good. If you go with the right attitude, then everything will be fine. The right basis is 100 per cent there.”
At the time, it sounded wildly optimistic. In fact, it proved to be gloriously prophetic.
Liverpool are champions of England for the 20th time, bringing them level with Manchester United as the joint-most successful side in English top-flight history, and Arne Slot has taken the fast track to the pantheon of Anfield greats by inspiring the most remarkable of triumphs.
Sunday’s emphatic 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur wrapped up the Premier League title with four games to spare to spark wild scenes of jubilation.
Slot becomes just the third manager in Liverpool’s history to win the title in his debut season in charge, following in the footsteps of Joe Fagan (1983-84) and Kenny Dalglish (1985-86). He becomes the first coach since Antonio Conte at Chelsea in 2016-17 to win the title during his maiden Premier League season.
The understated Dutchman has surpassed all expectations since making the move from Feyenoord last summer. Yes, he was fortunate to inherit a gifted squad, but how he’s taken them to the next level with his tactical acumen and expert man management has been astonishing.
Credit also to sporting director Richard Hughes, who led the search for Klopp’s successor a year ago and was so convinced that Slot’s work in the Netherlands made him perfect for the job at hand. At the time, it looked like a gamble. It turned out to be a masterstroke.
Forget the failings of the chasing pack, Slot’s side have simply set standards that no one else has been able to get close to replicating over the past nine months.
Liverpool have been top of the Premier League since November, with a 26-game unbeaten league run blowing their opponents away. With just two defeats in 34 games, it had long since been a case of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ they would be champions again.
There’s been so much to admire. From the brilliance of Mohamed Salah at one end — who celebrated his goal on Sunday by taking a selfie with a fan’s phone and signalling his second Premier League title — to the leadership of Virgil van Dijk at the other, it’s all been underpinned by a tireless work ethic.
The sense of euphoria inside Anfield on Sunday was magnified by the fact that many inside the stadium had waited their entire lives for this moment.
This was the first time Liverpool had won the English league title in front of supporters since 1990, having been forced to celebrate behind closed doors when Klopp’s side ended the painful 30-year drought in 2019-20.
The sense of growing anticipation on Merseyside had been inescapable since Arsenal’s midweek draw with Crystal Palace left Liverpool on the brink of glory. The street sellers had been doing a roaring trade selling ‘Champions of England’ merchandise.
More than hours before kick-off, Anfield Road was rammed as supporters lined the pavement in the spring sunshine to greet their heroes. Some were carrying replicas of the Premier League trophy, others cans of beer to quench their thirst.
When the team coach finally arrived at the stadium, it emerged through a cloud of thick red smoke from the array of flares. The roar was deafening and it set the tone for an unforgettable afternoon as the noise inside Anfield rarely deviated from fever pitch.
‘Now you’re gonna believe us, we’re gonna win the league.’ Every rendition was a bit louder than the previous one.
There was a spine-tingling rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone and a new addition to the array of banners on the resplendent Kop, which read: ‘It was always Liverpool’, a nod to Van Dijk’s comments after he recently signed a new two-year contract.
With his hands in his pockets as he stood in his technical area, Slot couldn’t have looked more relaxed early on, but Tottenham briefly gave him cause for concern.
James Maddison’s corner was inviting, and former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke punished some slack marking when he nodded past Alisson inside 12 minutes. This wasn’t in the script.
The response both in the stands and on the pitch was emphatic as the volume and the tempo were cranked up.
Within four minutes, Liverpool were level with Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai combining to give Luis Diaz a tap-in. The offside flag initially curtailed the celebrations but when a VAR check inevitably confirmed that Diaz was onside, a tidal wave of joy rippled around Anfield.
The Colombian was serenaded by all four sides of Anfield, and soon it was Alexis Mac Allister’s turn to get the same treatment after he unleashed a 20-yard thunderbolt beyond Guglielmo Vicario.
The breathing space Liverpool craved arrived before the break courtesy of Cody Gakpo, who worked his way into space after the visitors failed to clear a corner and produced a clinical finish into the bottom corner.
As Gakpo took off his shirt to show the message ‘I belong to Jesus’, Slot punched the air with delight and embraced his backroom staff.
The second half, just like the title race itself, turned into a procession with Slot’s name chanted repeatedly.
Salah slammed home the fourth before taking a mobile phone from a fan at the front of the Kop and posing for a selfie with his adoring public. The goal took the Egyptian clear of former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero into fifth place in the Premier League’s all-time list of scorers on 185.
After Destiny Udogie turned the ball into his own net to make it 5-1, red balloons were unleashed from the stands and the chant of ‘champions’ spread around Anfield.
Liverpool’s title party — ending Manchester City’s record-breaking run of four consecutive Premier League titles — was under way. And with the trophy lift still a month away, it won’t be ending any time soon.
(Top photo: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
