This was not meant to be Liverpool’s year. But, this time, fans really can celebrate the Premier League.Â
After all the anguish, the 30 years without a title, it has taken only five years to win it again without pandemic restrictions to curb the partying.
What looked like a transition season after Jurgen Klopp walked away instead ends in triumph for Arne Slot.
The Dutchman has snatched from ailing Manchester United the one record it still proudly boasted – being England’s most successful team.
Now, Liverpool are level on 20 league titles. Factor in the six European Cups to United’s three and the Reds from Merseyside can now claim to be the most successful team in English men’s football history.
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United know all about the troubles of replacing a managerial colossus as they endure a 12th season since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement without lifting the Premier League trophy.
It was Sir Alex who famously knocked Liverpool off the perch.
The Scot’s opening seasons saw Liverpool stretch their supremacy to 18 titles by 1990 before United kicked off a run of 13 triumphs in 1993 unanswered by the great rivals.
What makes Slot’s instant glory so remarkable is that he lacked the Anfield experience that Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish benefited from before taking the helm in the 1980s and ending their first seasons with league championship crowns.
Just consider who left Anfield without landing the Premier League since then – from Gerard Houllier to Rafa Benitez.
And when Slot arrived from Ajax, Klopp’s successor said: “They are big shoes to fill but you can look at it as inheriting a squad and a team which has a winning culture.”
What an inheritance he had, key components of the 2019-20 team.
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker has nine clean sheets this season.
Captain Virgil van Dijk has been formidable in defence.
And Mohamed Salah has been as prolific with 27 goals and 18 assists.
The heavy metal football that was Klopp’s brand has been replaced by a calmness from a successor who is more restrained on the touchline and pragmatic.
The claims they’ve had it easy?
Liverpool have been on top since November – pulling further away from any challengers.
“We don’t win games the easy way,” Slot said. “The easy way is taking control of the ball, pass it around five times and we have a goal and the next goal and the next goal.
“If we achieve something this year, it’s mainly to do with the mentality the players have shown.”
They had the comfort of a growing lead as Arsenal faded away in second.
There’s been a collapse by Manchester City – so dominant in winning the last four titles before the decline no pundit predicted.
Pep Guardiola’s side is instead in an unusual position, just trying to qualify for the Champions League with a top-five finish.
United have been nowhere – languishing in the bottom half of the table.
The Old Trafford chant of “20 times”. Now the Kop can sing that too.
And this time the Kop will be filled when the Premier League trophy is handed over, five years on from a fan-less Anfield staging socially-distanced celebrations.
And then a new mission will begin – to claim the record outright by winning title number 21.
