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Liverpool surge to Premier League title after emphatic 5-1 win against Spurs

Liverpool’s procession towards a 20th league title prompted an eruption 35 years in the making. Anfield exploded in emotion, passion and noise as its long wait to celebrate a Premier League triumph in unison ended in a style befitting Arne Slot’s new champions. Tottenham were dismantled, just as the rest of the Premier League has been in the head coach’s brilliant debut season, as Liverpool took the crown with a flourish.

Even Slot, the calmest man in the house, cavorted with his coaching staff when the final whistle sounded on Liverpool’s record-equalling 20^th title. Alisson fell to the ground in prayer. He and his teammates have answered Anfield’s. A five-star performance – with goals from Luis Díaz, the brilliant Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Cakpo and man of the season Mohamed Salah – sealed the title with four games to spare.

The celebrations started long before the coronation. Denied a mass communal party by the Covid pandemic in 2020, Liverpool fans were determined to make up for lost time. Not since 28 April 1990 had they and their team savoured a championship triumph together. This opportunity would not be missed.

Thousands lined Anfield Road to greet the team coach before kick off, many with ‘Champions 20’ printed on the back of their new club shirts. The air around Anfield was filled with an overwhelming smell of sulphur from flares that added to the sense of expectation. Someone didn’t get the memo and let off a blue one. Tottenham’s coach was diverted away from crowd and dropped the squad off behind the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand, requiring Ange Postecoglou and his players to walk around the pitch to their changing room. The Courteeners’ Not Nineteen Forever blared from the PA system as Liverpool warmed up. Such was the expectation even principal owner John W Henry made an appearance from Boston.

The possibility of Spurs spoiling the fun had not been given a second thought. It was seemingly a matter of how Liverpool would win the league, not if, and so Anfield was briefly stunned into silence when Dominic Solanke headed the visitors in front. The former Liverpool striker towered above Ryan Gravenberch to convert a James Maddison corner with Alisson rooted to the spot. Spurs had started brightly but are not a team to ruin a script, however.

Postecoglou had complained about the negative narrative that surrounds Spurs in his pre-match press conference. It was a bit rich given how often his team have fed the narrative this season, and they duly succumbed to an 11th away defeat of a dreadful Premier League campaign. Their subsequent performance suggested that Solanke’s surprise opening goal, and defying expectations only briefly, was enough. There was a gulf in hunger and desire between the new champions and the visitors. Each one of Liverpool’s three first-half goals would result in Spurs’ players arguing among themselves over their weak defending in the buildup.

Liverpool levelled four minutes later when Mohamed Salah released Dominik Szoboszlai behind Archie Gray with a superbly weighted pass. The midfielder squared for Díaz to slide home but his celebrations were curtailed by an offside flag against Szoboszlai. The video assistant referee confirmed the Hungary captain had timed his run to perfection, however, and Liverpool players swarmed over Díaz when the equaliser was given. A draw was enough for Slot’s side to seal the deal but of course they wanted more, as the Mac Allister demonstrated throughout.

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The World Cup-winner fired Liverpool ahead from 20 yards after Destiny Udogie played a dangerous pass across his own area towards Gray, who was beaten to the ball by the more determined Gravenberch. Mac Allister gave Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario no chance with an emphatic drive into the roof of the net. No doubts now. This would be the day.

Comfort came in the form of a third goal from Gakpo. Lucas Bergvall failed to deal with a Mac Allister corner to the near post and steered his attempted headed clearance straight to the Netherlands international. Gakpo collected, stepped easily away from Brennan Johnson and Solanke, and swept a shot into Vicario’s bottom right-hand corner.

Liverpool performed with a freedom and style their superiority allowed. The players were as determined to enjoy themselves as the fans. All that was missing from a perfect afternoon for Liverpool was a goal for Salah, the remarkable driving force behind title number 20. It arrived at the end of a move that underlined why Slot’s team have been a class apart. The immovable force that was Mac Allister halted Bergvall on the edge of the Liverpool area and released Szoboszlai, who swept half the length of the pitch before finding Salah in space on the right. Liverpool’s leading marksman cut inside Udogie and sent an unerring finish into the bottom corner. Salah celebrated his 28th league goal of the season by accepting a fan’s offer of their mobile phone to take a selfie in front of the Kop.

It was soon five when the hapless Udogie, attempting to stop Salah reaching Trent Alexander-Arnold’s flick across the Spurs goal, bundled the ball into his own net. It was the cue for a resounding version of “Champions” to reverberate from the Kop. The party is underway.

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