Just as the noise from The Phoenix pub, around a 20 minute walk from Anfield, subsided for a second — ‘We’re gonna win the football league again’, some of those enjoying the sunshine and reveling in the occasion sang — another group of Liverpool fans, in their early 20s and draped in red flags, began singing the name of Arne Slot as they moved towards Everton Valley.
One lone Everton fan defiantly sang Spirit of the Blues out of his car window. But while the sun was shining and the sky was blue, the city of Liverpool had long been painted red. A busker, at the bottom of Walton Breck Road, rather hoarsely belted out a rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Around a kilometer away, red smoke from pyrotechnics billowed in the air and thousands, many of whom didn’t have tickets but just wanted to sample the atmosphere, lined the streets for a special welcome. It set the tone for an afternoon of celebrations — only punctuated, momentarily — by the opening goal coming from the former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke.
That won’t remembered as anything more than a quiz question in the years to come. Luis Diaz soon leveled — after a lengthy VAR check — before Alexis Mac Allister, who was sensational, smashed in a peach of a shot with his left foot. By half-time, needing only a point, Cody Gakpo had made it 3-1 to his side.
From there, it was a long procession to glory, the second half very much an afterthought. Mohamed Salah ended his goal drought and a Destiny Udogie own-goal made it 5-1. The five-star Reds put in a showing worthy of their status as title victors.
Liverpool has known for months, deep down, that the Premier League trophy was coming. The trophy presentation won’t come until the final day against Crystal Palace, but this was the coronation that most inside Anfield have been waiting a lifetime for.
Winning in 2020 was one thing, but that was confirmed when Manchester City dropped points against Chelsea, let alone in the midst of a pandemic. This was different: done on Liverpool’s terms, and with a packed home crowd who produced an emotional and fitting backdrop — almost all donning red of some sort, as Virgil van Dijk had demanded.
Slot, at the final whistle, took a little bit of praise, but let his players take center stage — and he serenaded his predecessor. “It feels great,” Slot said while on the field, still taking it all in. “I don’t think I want to say a lot. The only thing now is to send my appreciation to Jurgen Klopp.”
Mirroring when Klopp led the chants of his name before he was even announced as his successor, Slot was typically understated, and it speaks volumes about his character that he directed most of the attention elsewhere. When it sinks in and he allows himself a real moment to reflect, though, possibly over a glass of wine, he will privately realize the scale of the achievement.
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It is little more than a year since Slot emerged as the leading contender to replace Klopp. Even he surely can’t have believed that this was the outcome that was coming.
Slot’s side has not just won the league title, but blown the opposition out of the water. Renditions of every Liverpool song going — the full songbook, including Trent Alexander-Arnold’s — were led by The Kop as the the players made sure to savor every second of the immediate aftermath.
The final four games are meaningless in terms of the scorelines, as a result of today, but that only means the celebrations can be elongated. The party that Liverpool has waited 35 years for has already begun.
