Match Manchester United’s record of being English champions 20 times as Arne Slot leads club to glory in his debut season * A moment 35 years in the making, yesterday was Anfield’s day of destiny * It’s 100% better winning the title with fans—top goalscorer Mohamed Salah Premierleague.com & BBC Sport Liverpool were crowned champions for the second time in the Premier League — and a record-equalling 20th time in the top flight — with Arne Slot leading the club to glory in his first season in charge. Yesterday’s 5-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur means Liverpool moved out of reach of their nearest rivals in the table, Arsenal, with four matches still to play, becoming the seventh team to seal the title so early. Liverpool’s only other Premier League title win came in 2019/20 under Jurgen Klopp during the CoVID-19 pandemic, when fans weren’t allowed to attend matches. So not only was confirming the title in front of their fans special, but when they lift the Premier League Trophy later this season, it will be the first time in front of their supporters as well. For Mohamed Salah, who took a selfie with the fans, after scoring to make it 4-1, securing the title was twice as good as five years previously: “It is incredible to win this with our fans,” Salah told Sky Sports. “This is 100% better than last time, especially with the fans. We have a different group now so to show we can do it again is something special.” Fans had flooded the roads around Anfield ahead of yesterday’s match and provided the team with a hero’s welcome to the stadium and coach Slot said such a presence helped to motivate his men, even after Spurs’ Dominic Solanke had temporarily punctured the party atmosphere with the opening goal in the 12th minute. “The way we arrived on the bus, everyone was thinking there is no way we were going to lose this game,” Slot said. “Conceding first made it difficult, but they always find a way to win.” A second Premier League title means Liverpool go fifth in the rankings for the number of titles outright, moving behind Arsenal’s total of three. Significantly for Liverpool, because they won 18 top-flight titles before the Premier League started in 1992/93, they have now been crowned champions of England for the 20th time – that equals the record held by fierce rivals Manchester United, who last won the title in 2012/13. A key figure in Liverpool’s title-winning campaign has been Salah. The Egyptian leads the Premier League charts for the most goals and most assists in 2024/25, with 28 and 18 respectively — which account for 58% of the team’s Premier League tally this season — 46 of 80. Salah, who recently signed a new contract, could yet become only the second player to register 20+ goals and 20+ assists in the same season, after Thierry Henry achieved this with Arsenal in 2002/03. And he also has his sights set on the record of 47 goal involvements in a Premier League set by Andy Cole in 1993/94 and Alan Shearer a year later. “Goal involvements, for sure… hopefully I’m going to break it soon,” Salah said. “I know I broke the record for 38 games. Now one goal or one assist to go I think? I counted! “You can see the numbers — now I don’t have to defend much. The tactics are quite different. I said, ‘As long as you rest me defensively I will provide offensively.’ So I am glad that I did. He listened a lot and you can see the numbers. “When you play in the Premier League you have to defend but I said that I can gamble and somehow I can make a difference. My number of assists shows that, you can create chances as well.” Virgil van Dijk became the first Dutchman to captain a team to a Premier League title and echoed Salah’s words about confirming a a record-equalling 20th English league championship in front of Liverpool supporters. “This is the most beautiful club in the world,” the defender told Sky Sports. “We deserve this. We are going to enjoy the next couple of weeks and take it in. “I was desperate to win it for them [the fans] and all the fans around the world, and for us as well.” Like Van Dijk and Salah, for Andrew Robertson it was a second title at Anfield, but as well as the atmosphere he saw differences in the way that Liverpool became champions albeit with some similarities as well. “It was a different style of play then [in 2020],” he said. “It was high energy, high press. But this team is a bit more controlled. “But from a manager’s point of view the key things are the same. The consistency has been there for both teams and that is what has got us over the line.” A moment 35 years in the making The long wait ended for Liverpool as the giant red and white clock in the corner of the Kop flicked over to 18:24 BST on the day that was Anfield’s destiny. The small detail was Tottenham had been swept aside and the big picture was Liverpool were now officially champions and, with great significance, had equalled Manchester United’s total of 20 titles. As Liverpool’s team coach emerged from plumes of red smoke blowing towards the stadium on Anfield Road, the smell of sulphur and cordite hanging heavy in the air, the banners and scarves read: ‘The Most Successful Club In England’. This was a moment 35 years in the making. Liverpool could celebrate a title win with their own vast support, in their own stadium, in front of the Kop. They had last experienced this sort of elation when Sir Kenny Dalglish, who was watching from the directors’ box, led Liverpool to victory over Queens Park Rangers on April 28, 1990. Jurgen Klopp led them to the Premier League title in 2020, but the celebrations were played out in the genteel surroundings of Formby Golf Club, and the trophy lift in front of invited family and friends at a deserted Anfield amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This explained the release of emotion at the final whistle, which had been building up hours before kick-off. It was finally unleashed in a wall of sound — fireworks exploded behind the Kop, another fog of red smoke swept around Anfield accompanied by an outpouring of tears from players and fans alike. At the heart of it all was coach Arne Slot, the modest Dutchman who has made the so-called impossible task of succeeding Jurgen Klopp look so easy. It had been 343 days since Klopp said his Anfield farewell, attempting to ease the air of uncertainty about his departure swirling around Liverpool by singing a song in honour of his soon-to-be-anointed successor. The tune echoed around Anfield throughout this 5-1 win, and Slot delivered his own version in tribute to Klopp as ecstasy unfolded around him. “To replace Jurgen is a big job and the manager did it in his own way and deserves a lot of credit,” said captain Virgil van Dijk. “I don’t think anyone from the outside world thought we would be Premier League champions.”—Edited by Maravi Express