Title glory! Liverpool thrash Spurs to charge to 20th championship

Liverpool charged to their 20th English Premier League (EPL) title with four matches to spare as they demolished hapless Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 at Anfield on Sunday.

Arne Slot's side needed a point to lift the trophy and earned three, doing that in emphatic style via goals from Luis Díaz (16th minute), Alexis Mac Allister (24th), Cody Gakpo (34th), EPL top scorer Mohamed Salah (63rd) and Destiny Udogie own goal (69th).

In a less auspicious start that hinted Liverpool might have to postpone their celebrations — though that notion was resoundingly dispelled by later proceedings — Spurs opened the scoring via Dominik Solanke in the 12th minute.

Dutch manager Slot, winning the league title in his first season, managed what legendary predecessor Juergen Klopp achieved just once in his eight seasons at Liverpool, in 2019-20, coming close on many other occasions.

Liverpool roared back from a goal behind to thrash Spurs on a momentous day at Anfield.

Needing only a point to ensure a record-equalling 20th title, Liverpool were rocked as Solanke headed Spurs in front.

But the title party was only temporarily silenced as Liverpool struck back with a Díaz tap-in, a Mac Allister thunderbolt and a Gakpo shot before half time.

A one-sided second half saw Salah end a six-match scoring drought by firing a low shot past Guglielmo Vicario in the 63rd minute, celebrating his 28th league goal of an outstanding season by snapping a selfie with a fan.

Tottenham's Udogie then bundled in an own goal to complete a miserable afternoon for the visitors who have lost 19 Premier League games this season.

Liverpool, who have now matched Manchester United's English titles record, have 82 points from 34 games played with Arsenal a distant second on 67.

Slot is only the fifth manager to win the Premier League title in his debut season in English soccer and while it was a formality before kickoff on Sunday, there was still the small matter of Liverpool ensuring the cake was iced in front of their own adoring fans.

Five years ago, when Klopp's Liverpool ended a 30-year wait for a 19th title, the Covid-19 pandemic meant an anticlimactic finale inside an empty stadium.

Sunday more than made up for that as the fans went through their choir book of club anthems.

Sixteenth-placed Tottenham, who made eight changes to their starting line-up with one eye on Thursday's Europa League semifinal, arrived as sacrificial lambs, but momentarily silenced the Kop as former Liverpool player Solanke headed in James Maddison's corner.

Liverpool were only behind for four minutes though.

Díaz, appearing in his 100th Premier League game for the club, tapped in Dominik Szoboszlai's low cross and while it was initially disallowed for offside, the decision was overturned after a VAR check to sighs of relief all round.

Eight minutes later the party was in full swing as Liverpool took the lead with a special goal by Mac Allister — one of the real unsung heroes in Liverpool's midfield engine room.

Tottenham gave possession away trying to play out from the back and when the ball arrived at the feet of Argentinian World Cup winner he thumped a left-footed shot high beyond Vicario.

With the visitors now fully complying with their role as props in Liverpool's parade, the hosts began to run riot as Gakpo slammed in his side's third goal after 34 minutes.

All that was left to complete a perfect day was a goal for Kop idol Salah, and he duly obliged after the break. 

In an earlier game on Sunday, Rasmus Hojlund scored an equaliser deep into stoppage time as Manchester United salvaged a 1-1 away draw at 10-man Bournemouth.

Antoine Semenyo had put the hosts ahead in the 23rd and United were staring at a 16th defeat of the season before the Dane came to the rescue after six of nine extra minutes at the Vitality Stadium.