Liverpool, England – TO Selfie with Mohamed Salah. An improvised song with the ARNE slot. Fireworks and flares.
It was party time in Anfield as Liverpool sealed the title of the Premier League stylish.
Tottenham’s 5-1 defeat was almost a parallel problem like a English League Championship of the 20th Equality It was confirmed on Sunday, matching the achievement of the great rival of Liverpool at Manchester United.
“Everyone was sitting on the bus saying that there is no way we are going to lose the game,” Slot said, standing in the middle of the field after his players fell into champagne.
Fans had appeared long before the beginning, aligning the streets around the stadium in anticipating a celebration of the title. And despite going to an early goal from Dominic Solanke, Liverpool did not disappoint them, running to a 3-1 leadership in the part-time to effectively guarantee that there is no more delay in a victory of the title that has probably seemed during much of the season.
“You see so many fans who are already outside from the beginning and you just want to do the job,” said Virgil Van Dijk captain, adding that “it was incredible to be part.”
The smell of sulfur filled the air early in the day, since the red smoke boats were left out of the famous stadium that has been the home of so many Liverpool teams winners of the championship. The flags were hung from nearby houses.
Within the ground, the giant banners floated in the stands, celebrating past and present icons.
Slot has joined that club’s big list in just his first season after Jurgen Klopp replacement.
It also joins a select group of managers by winning the title in its first year in the Premier League, after José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini and Antonio Conte.
He has achieved it with much plenty, with Liverpool 15 points ahead of the arsenal in second place with four rounds of the season.
“It is a great job and the manager did so together with his staff,” said Van Dijk. “It definitely deserves a lot of credit for that.”
Slot is also the first Dutch coach to win the Premier League, which is a feat considering winners of the series trophy such as Louis Van Gaal, Guus Hiddink and Erik Ten Hag, all have achieved in the high flight of English football.
“It is always special to win something. It is even more special if you are the first, and even more special in a club where it is not common for you to win the League every year,” said Slot, who paid tribute to his predecessor by singing the name of Klopp to fans after the final Whistle.
Klopp had taken Liverpool to a complete set of trophies in more than eight years in charge, including the Champions League and that long -awaited Premier League. Few could have expected Slot to have such an instant impact on their first year on a new country, stopping the English football dominance of Manchester City in the first attempt.
Slot thanked the owners of Liverpool for their faith in hiring him from the Dutch team Feyenoord last year.
“To trust me to be in this position, maybe now everyone says’ that makes a lot of sense,” he said. “But at the time they signed me, maybe not everyone was as convinced as everyone now.
“So, that also tells you what special club is this that does not always go for the perhaps simple or obvious option: they make the decision they think is better for the club.”
The city administrator, Pep Guardiola, quickly congratulated a “well deserved” victory.
This was the second Liverpool title in five years, after having finished a 30 -year wait to be champion in 2020. But this time there was a crucial difference since the victory was shared with the followers.
Five years ago, Liverpool had to finish the season behind closed doors when the United Kingdom faced closing restrictions due to Covid pandemic. Now there was a full stadium to explode in the final beep and see how the players danced and hugged in the field.
“This is much better, 100%,” said Salah. “You feel more special to fans. Now you have a different group, a different manager. Showing that you can do it again is something special.”
Throughout the game, a crowd full of Anfield had been in an enthusiastic voice, singing the hymn of the club “You will never walk alone” in the final moments.
He was repeated later when Slot and his players faced the famous Kop Stand to be entrance to fans.
Having spent 206 days at the top of the classification, Liverpool only needed one more point to be confirmed champion.
For a brief moment, the 12th minute header of Solanke had threatened to spoil the party, but the local team returned with attacks by Luis Díaz, Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gapko before part time. Salah added another after the break and the goal of Destiny Udogie rounded the defeat.
In the end, the victory was so comfortable that Salah even had time to pose for a selfie in front of the crowd after scoring his goal 33 of the season in all competitions.
Rasmus Hojlund scored in additional time to save a 1-1 draw for Manchester United in Bournemouth in the other Premier League game on Sunday.
United was in progress to lose for the 16th time in the league this season after the strike of Antoine Semezo in the first half. But a late pressure burst was worth United after Bournemouth dropped to 10 men and Hojlund became a close range for his ninth goal of the season.
The point moved United until 14 in the classification.
Semenyo shot a low shot from inside the box to overcome United Andre Onana goalkeeper in the 23rd minute.
Bournemouth had the opportunity to extend his leadership with Dango Ouattara hitting the post with a free kick after the break. But when Evanilson was sent to a lunge in Noussair Mazraoui after a VAR review in 70, United began increasing the pressure.
The visitors still had to wait until the sixth minute of additional time for Hojlund to divert Manuel Ugarte’s effort beyond Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Manchester City reached the final of the FA Cup for the third consecutive year By winning Nottingham Forest 2-0 at the Wembley Stadium to maintain the possibility of finishing a sad season with a trophy.
City scored early in each half of the semifinal when Rico Lewis put his team forward in just the second minute and defender Josko Gvardiol doubled the advantage in 51 with a header from a corner.
City will play Crystal Palace in the final on May 17.
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James Robson is in https://twitter.com/jamesalanroBson
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