Liverpool‘s Premier League title win has reinstated the club as the biggest team in England ahead of Manchester United, Reds expert David Lynch has insisted.
After beating Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 on Sunday, the Merseysiders clinched the title with four games to spare, winning their 20th top-flight crown.
The Reds have now drawn level with United as the team with the most title wins in England, and their success this term has reignited debate about which side can claim to be the country’s biggest club.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch argued that Liverpool have re-established themselves as the biggest side in England beyond doubt, saying: “The wider historical context of the achievement is that it has restored Liverpool to their perch, undoubtedly. They’ve got the most major trophies out of any club. They’ve got the joint most league titles and they’re well ahead in European Cups as well.
“This was a league title that was significant for many reasons, but that was one of them, and it really does put Manchester United in the shade. Now, of course, the idea for everyone at Anfield is to go and get 21, but it looks more likely that Liverpool will do that before Manchester United get their 21st, that’s for sure.”
Former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson once remarked that his greatest achievement was knocking Liverpool “off their perch”, but having won 20 league titles, six Champions Leagues and a host of other trophies, it is difficult to argue that the Reds are not back on top.
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Can Liverpool get further ahead of Manchester United
Manchester United are currently 14th in the Premier League table with just 39 points, and they will finish with their lowest ever points tally in the history of the divsion.
They have not won the league since 2012-13 and have not won the Champions League since 2007-08, whereas Liverpool have won two Premier League titles and a European Cup since 2018-19.
Lynch expressed his view that the Reds could win significantly more silverware than United in the near future and further cement their dominance when he told Sports Mole: “The most worrying thing from a Manchester United perspective – which is a great sentence to say as someone who grew up mostly through the 90s – is that they look miles off it.
“It’s not just that Liverpool have drawn level. Ok, Manchester United get a chance to push back next season, [but] they look like they are not going to win another league for a long time, and Liverpool look like they could at the very least be in contention for the next three, four, five years at a minimum.
“The worry for United is that Liverpool not only draw level with them on league titles, but that they run away in terms of that as well. If they start to build a lead in terms of league titles, and they’re already ahead in European Cups, then that debate is over completely.”
Liverpool have won eight major trophies since 2019 and have finished second twice since 2018-19, a period in which United won just the FA Cup and EFL Cup and had four managers.
What it meant for fans
As for the day that Liverpool clinched their top-flight crown, boss Arne Slot insisted that the atmosphere created by fans helped spur his side on to victory against Tottenham.
Supporters were not able to celebrate the club’s first Premier League triumph due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, but thousands made the most of the occasion last Sunday and gathered outside the stadium.
Lynch spoke of the significance of the day for fans, and praised them for the environment they created on Sunday, telling Sports Mole: “It was a huge party atmosphere going into the ground as a starting point. The coach greeting was absolutely incredible. It was a sea of noise and colour and as the manager said, there was no way they were losing when they’ve got support like that. You didn’t doubt it even after Spurs score.
“It was classic Liverpool to throw that little bit of jeopardy in at the end, to make everyone remember how important and how good it is and how big an achievement it is to win this league. Even that opening goal added to the day but it also gave Liverpool a bit of a kick up the backside and they were just magnificent from that point on.
“The game was over and the title race was over at half time, and it was just about adding some gloss to the scoreline. It was good to see them perform in that way because there’s been talk of limping over the line. The performance is not at the level of earlier in the season but this was a return to some of the best football Liverpool have played. A perfect way to cap an incredible season and secure the title.”
While some have attempted to downplay Liverpool’s achievements this term, supporters will care little about the opinions of rival fans, and they will be looking forward to potentially winning a record-breaking 21st title next season.
