While it was only recent memory since Liverpool last secured the Premier League title, this time around there was one inescapable difference: the fans.
From the moment the team bus pulled into Anfield Stadium on Sunday, a sea of red was there to greet them, while red mist clung to the air, penetrated by a wall of cheering and the devoted singing Liverpool fan favourite “Allez Allez Allez” by Jamie Webster.
It was 2020 when Liverpool broke a 30-year drought to win the trophy, but the victory was bittersweet with pandemic measures robbing legions of fans the chance to celebrate.
While that year fans were urged to stay home, on Sunday, after sweeping to victory against Tottenham 5 to 1, it appeared nothing would get in the way of celebrations in and outside Anfield, and the pubs and streets in the city beyond.
One fan, Steven, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I’m lost for words, teary.”
While the team may have won during the pandemic, the Liverpool fan said “everyone can relate it just wasn’t the same.”
“I’m just totally flabbergasted.”
When Arne Slot was named the new Liverpool boss, Steven had his doubts. He said: “With [Jurgen] Klopp leaving, everyone’s kind of feeling down. I honestly thought we weren’t the team to win the championship this year.”
Liverpool fan of 45 years Irfan said on BBC Radio 5 Live that he saw the result five years ago on his television screen, and watched live from the stadium on Sunday. He said: “The scary thing is, Liverpool have been playing in third gear until today.
“I think they actually let the shackles off”, he added. “It could have been 10, 11 for Spurs today. They were fortuante to get away with 5-1.”
He continued that he believed there was more to come from this Liverpool side.
Fans shared their jubilant responses on social media, as one person praised Slot’s results as a manager.
They said: “Without purchasing any players, Slot used Klopp’s Liverpool squad and won the league. And Arsenal still finished second.”
Another reflected on the “unbelievable scenes at Anfield.”
A third person tweeted: “There’s nothing more fulfilling than winning the #EPL title at #Anfield .”
Fans could be heard throughout the Kop roaring the club’s anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” by Gerry & The Pacemakers.
Even some famous faces shared their support for the team in the make or break match, as Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown and Adolescence star Owen Cooper shared a selfie together as they watched the game.
The result was certainly a triumph for manager Arne Slot, who won the title in his debut season. He told Liverpool FC TV: “It feels great. I don’t think I want to say a lot. The only thing now is to send my appreciation to Jurgen Klopp.
“The way we arrived on the bus, everyone was thinking there is no way we were going to lose this game. Conceding first made it difficult, but they always find a way to win.
“Incredibly proud, but not only of the players. Everyone knows what effort they’ve put in over the last few years. Everyone standing here, you [the fans] should give them a wonderful applause as well.
“Let’s forget that it’s the second Five years ago Liverpool fans were urged to stay home — on Sunday Anfield was a sea of red in 35 years, it’s the second in five years.”
