Liverpool win EPL, equal English record with 20th top-flight title

Liverpool's coronation is complete.

The Reds, runaway Premier League leaders for several weeks now, officially clinched the title Sunday with four matches to spare, crushing Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield to seal the deal.

The Merseyside outfit now has 20 top-flight English titles in its history, tied for most all time with historic rivals Manchester United.

"It's special and it's something that we don't take for granted. It's amazing," captain Virgil van Dijk said, according to Agence France-Presse. "A lot of emotions before the game, during the whole week, but we got the job done and we are truly deserved champions of England."

He added: "(This is) the most beautiful club in the world and I think we deserve all of this. Let's enjoy the next couple of weeks and let it sink in."

English top-flight titles

Arsenal's draw with Crystal Palace earlier in the week left Liverpool just one point away from securing the trophy going into Sunday's match. Arne Slot's team took full advantage.

After conceding an early goal to Dominic Solanke in front of an expectant Anfield crowd, Liverpool came storming back in emphatic fashion. Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, and Cody Gakpo scored in an 18-minute span in the first half to get the home side back on the title-clinching track.

Mohamed Salah's fierce second-half strike, his 46th goal involvement of the league campaign, padded the lead, and Destiny Udogie's own goal rounded out the scoring.

It was fitting that Salah got his name on the scoresheet Sunday. In doing so, he surpassed Sergio Aguero as the highest-scoring foreign player in Premier League history and moved into sole possession of fifth on the league's all-time scoring chart with 185 goals.

Powered primarily by the Egyptian's superlative individual campaign, Liverpool ran away with the Premier League in Slot's first season at the helm, adapting immediately to his style of play after the departure of beloved longtime bench boss Jurgen Klopp last year.

Slot joins Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte, and Manuel Pellegrini as the only managers to win the Premier League in their first campaign in English football.

Klopp was in charge when Liverpool claimed their most recent title in 2020 to end a 30-year drought, and a handful of the stalwarts from that side have also been vital contributors to this latest success. Defender Van Dijk, goalkeeper Alisson Becker, and defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson were part of the squad with Salah five years ago.

The celebrations that time around looked very, very different.

Five years ago, Anfield was almost entirely empty because of pandemic restrictions, with only a smattering of family members allowed to witness the club's long-awaited trophy presentation in person.

The storied venue was in full party mode Sunday, with more than 60,000 raucous fans packing the stadium and providing a celebratory atmosphere well before the opening kickoff. The air of expectation was palpable.

"It is incredible to win this with our fans. This is 100 percent better than last time (in 2020), especially with the fans," Salah said. "We have a different group now so to show we can do it again is something special."

Liverpool have lost just two league matches this season and used a 26-match unbeaten run to pull away from Arsenal, who emerged as the only true competition for the Reds this season before eventually falling off the pace.

Manchester City, Premier League champions in each of the past four seasons - and six of the past seven - dropped off significantly this year, opening the door for Liverpool to storm through.

The Reds were in contention for a quadruple earlier in the campaign but lost in the League Cup final while also suffering exits in the Champions League and FA Cup. Those setbacks didn't impact their league form, though, as Slot's men continued to rack up points at a rate nobody in England could match.