Liverpool 5 Tottenham 1: Reds crowned champions in front of Kop after coming from behind to demolish woeful Spurs
MO SALAH celebrated scoring by taking a selfie with a fan’s phone – as Liverpool snapped up the title in fittingly-easy fashion.
In a season where few tipped them to be champions before a ball was kicked, Arne Slot’s picture-perfect team have waltzed to victory, seemingly without breaking sweat.
This win to clinch it looked the most effortless of them all against a powder-puff Spurs who have seemingly given up on their Prem campaign in favour of the Europa League.
An early Dominic Solanke header aside, Ange Postecoglou’s shower were ideal opponents for Slot’s glory-hunters, and rolled over as soon as their hosts moved out of first gear.
First-half strikes from Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo put the result, both in this game and the title race, beyond doubt.
Then Salah’s banger and Destiny Udogie’s own goal after the break created a champagne scoreline to toast an Anfield party 35 years in the planning.
For this was the first time Liverpool had been able to celebrate a league title success in front of supporters since Kenny Dalglish’s side recorded the club’s 18th in 1990.
Five years ago, Jurgen Klopp won the 19th – and his only Prem crown of his glittering tenure – but of course, that was in Covid times when no fans were allowed.
The supporters more than made up for it here, as their beloved club went level with Manchester United on 20, by bringing the festival vibes long before the game had even kicked off.
Thousands lined the streets outside the ground, waving flags and flares as the team bus arrived.
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Inside the stadium, everyone was in carnival mood, including Sir Kenny and Alan Hansen who were in attendance.
This red-letter day for the hosts came 24 hours before the anniversary of when they clinched the title in 1990.
Dalglish’s side, captained by Hansen, also fell behind to an early header when Roy Wegerle stunned Anfield for QPR.
Back then, the edgy hosts had to wait until just ahead of half-time for Ian Rush to level things up before John Barnes sealed a 2-1 win from the penalty spot after the break.
Here, the nerves were calmed far quicker after Solanke’s powerful header had threatened to puncture the party atmosphere inside 12 minutes.
The England striker, who had a brief spell with the Reds as a youngster, escaped Diaz and outjumped Ryan Gravenberch to thunder home James Maddison’s corner.
No one saw it coming – but pretty much everyone expected the response.
It came extremely swiftly – even for this excellent Liverpool attack and this porous Spurs defence – as Slot’s side hit a quick-fire double.
First, Salah ingeniously found Dominik Szoboszlai who rolled it across the box for Diaz to sweep home.
Szoboszlai, now the first Hungarian Premier League champion, was originally ruled offside, but VAR correctly intervened and the goal was given
Six minutes later, and after Gakpo had had a goal this time rightly chalked off for offside, the hosts were in front.
Spurs, so often the masters of their own downfall, could only have themselves to blame as Mathys Tel lost possession trying to play out from the back.
Gravenberch got in front of Archie Gray and managed to offload it to Mac Allister, who drew his left foot back and blasted the ball into the top corner.
Postecoglou had spoken in the week how he at times has “poked the bear” with his own critics this season by snapping sarcastically back at them.
Poking the bear was a good description of what his own side had done to Liverpool here – and his team were eaten alive as punishment.
Two became three on 34 minutes to extinguish any sense of jeopardy out of the occasion.
Spurs were at fault again as Lucas Bergvall pathetically weak header to try to clear a corner fell at Gakpo’s feet.
The Dutchman was afforded the space to get the ball under control, shift it onto his right and pick his spot into the far corner.
Slot’s animated celebration at that point suggested that even he, the cool head insisting no one get ahead of themselves, knew the title was theirs now.
After the break it was just a matter of how many more they would get.
And whether Salah, who had not netted in 50 days for his club, would move closer to breaking the Prem record for combined goals and assists in a single campaign.
Ahead of the game, the brilliant Egyptian destined to win every individual award going this term was on 45 thanks to 27 goals and 18 assists.
That was two behind joint-holders Andy Cole and Alan Shearer from their respective exploits at Newcastle and Blackburn in the early 90s.
Salah moved one closer to their hauls with his SIXTEENTH goal against Spurs, cutting in from the right and curling into the near post before borrowing a supporter’s phone for a priceless selfie snap.
The Liverpool icon was trying to claim a second shortly afterwards as Slot’s men made it five, but there was no doubting it was Udogie who turned home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross.
Spurs had well and truly put up the white flag but mercifully Liverpool left it at that.
The hard work had been done – in truth it was completed long ago – as Slot and his players enjoyed their photo finish a country mile ahead of the chasing pack