Anfield roared as Liverpool secured their record-equalling 20th English top-flight crown with a 5-1 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur under debut manager Arne Slot.
Liverpool’s new head coach, Arne Slot, 46, delivered instant glory by guiding the Reds to their 20th league championship in his first season at Anfield. Slot, who succeeded Jürgen Klopp last summer, became the first manager in the club’s storied history to win the title at the first attempt. Fans filled the Kop from the first whistle, sensing history in the making and savouring every moment of a memorable afternoon.
Tottenham struck first when Dominic Solanke, 28, rose unmarked to head home after 12 minutes against the run of play. Liverpool responded within five minutes when Luis Díaz, 28, tucked away a VAR-awarded equaliser. Alexis Mac Allister, 26, then smashed in a 23rd-minute strike before Cody Gakpo, 25, ghosted in at the back post from a corner to make it 3-1 by half-time. The hosts never looked back after that flurry of first-half goals.
The second half transformed into a sunlit celebration. Mohamed Salah, 32, swept in Liverpool’s fourth in the 63rd minute, marking his 28th league goal of the campaign. Twenty minutes later, a deflected cross by Destiny Udogie, 23, bounced past his own keeper to complete the rout. By the final whistle, the title was theirs, and Anfield swayed to chants of “Champions of England” under a perfect spring sky.
The win finally ended Manchester City’s four-year grip on the Premier League and brought Liverpool a commanding lead over Arsenal. Since January, Slot’s side have extended their advantage to a near-unassailable 13 points. Arsenal’s draw with Crystal Palace last Wednesday meant Liverpool needed just one point from their remaining five fixtures, and they sealed the title with four games to spare.
This triumph takes Liverpool level with Manchester United on 20 English league titles. It also marks their second Premier League crown in five years, though unlike the 2019–20 victory celebrated in empty stadiums, this success unfolded before 54,000 jubilant supporters. The club has announced a trophy parade for Monday, 26 May, promising a city-wide festival a decade in the making.
Slot’s seamless transition from Feyenoord to Anfield under sporting director Richard Hughes has vindicated Liverpool’s decision. After an early setback—a home defeat by Nottingham Forest in his fourth match—Slot oversaw a 26-game unbeaten league run that lasted nearly seven months. The Reds have held top spot since 2 November, the day Arsenal fell at Newcastle and City lost at Bournemouth, while Liverpool rallied from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 with Salah’s late winner.
Off the pitch, attention now turns to contract negotiations that preoccupied much of the season. Salah and captain Virgil van Dijk, 33, have signed new two-year deals to extend their Anfield legacies. Trent Alexander-Arnold, 26, remains in the final year of his contract amid Real Madrid links. Slot’s faith in his inherited squad required only one summer signing—Federico Chiesa, now rarely used—with a €35 million deal lined up to bring Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, 25, from Valencia in the summer.
Having joined an elite group of debut-season title winners—following José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini and Antonio Conte—Slot also rewrote Liverpool history. He joins Matt McQueen (1922–23), Joe Fagan (1983–84) and Kenny Dalglish (1985–86) as the only managers to claim the English championship at first attempt, and stands alone as the only outsider to do so without prior Anfield ties.
