LIVERPOOL: The sun had just set over Anfield and on a 30-year wait to be champions of England again when the fireworks started to explode into the twilight.

A signal went out across Merseyside. The drought was finally over for Liverpool.

At first there were just a dozen supporters who watching on phones and listening on radios outside this hallowed stadium. They were soon surrounded by a sea of thousands snaking from the entrance to the Kop past the The Albert Pub to the Hillsborough memorial.

And as darkness eventually engulfed Liverpool’s home on this mid-summer’s evening, a red haze of smoke began to light the skies.

Waving flares and flags, Liverpool’s faithful found a way to share this moment together on Thursday, even in a pandemic. It’s hard to stay apart when a three-decade mission has been accomplished, even though the crowning moment came without Liverpool players being on the field.

The squad had to watch on television, just like the fans, as second-place Manchester City lost 2-1 at Chelsea and left Liverpool 23 points in front. With seven games to go, Jurgen Klopp’s men cannot be caught.

Liverpool were last champions of England when they won the old First Division title in 1989-90 after which a decline in fortunes saw Manchester United and Arsenal, then Chelsea and Manchester City seize power.

Klopp was in tears after Liverpool’s long-awaited win, which follows their Champions League and Club World Cup victories last year, when they finished just a point behind City in the Premier League.

It’s such a big moment, I am completely overwhelmed,” an emotional Klopp told Sky Sports.“Tonight it is for you out there. It’s incredible. I hope you stay at home, or go in front of your house if you want, but not more. We do it together in this moment and it is a joy to do it for you.”

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic forcing a three-month suspension of the season and delaying Liverpool’s coronation, they have won the title with a record seven games to spare. They eclipsed the mark jointly held by Manchester United (2000-01) and Manchester City (2017-18), who sealed their respective titles with five games left.

City manager Pep Guardiola paid tribute to Liverpool.

Big congratulations for Liverpool,” said the Spaniard, whose title-winning side finished 25 points ahead of Klopp’s team two seasons ago and pipped them by a point last term. After 30 years without the title they played every game this season like it was their last with incredible focus. We were not consistent enough.”

Had it not been for the unprecedented stoppage Liverpool were on course to smash the record for the earliest clinching of the league title. Instead, they are now the first team to lift the coveted trophy as late as June.

The title had hardly been in doubt since December. A fluid, attacking style of play earned 28 wins and two draws in 31 games with a loss at Watford. Liverpool were 25 points clear in February — the biggest lead in Premier League history.

‘Null and void’ became the dreaded term in the red half of Liverpool, amid fears the season could be cancelled completely. When Liverpool returned on Sunday, a 0-0 draw at Everton delayed the crowning moment. The team rediscovered their scintillating attacking form as they swept aside Crystal Palace 4-0 on Wednesday inside an empty Anfield.

“We are not going to complain and make a fuss,” said 21-year-old defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, a lifelong fan. “It’s something we’ve always dreamed of.”

Videos on social media showed many of Liverpool’s players watching the Chelsea match together at a hotel.

We won’t tell you the exact location but we are all in a hotel together as a team,” Liverpool star Andrew Robertson told the BBC. We thought something hopefully special was going to happen and that’s how it turned out.”

CITY STUMBLE

Four years later, Chelsea again clinched the Premier League title for another team.

In 2016, it was a late goal by Eden Hazard that gave Chelsea a draw against Tottenham Hotspur that secured Leicester City the most improbable title triumph in English football history.

On Thursday, it was a 78th-minute penalty converted by Willian that clinched fourth-placed Chelsea a victory that moved them five points ahead of Manchester United in the battle a coveted Champions League spot and led to fireworks being set off near Anfield.

A solo goal by Christian Pulisic, a player brought to Europe by Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp in 2015 when he was coaching Borussia Dortmund, put Chelsea ahead in the 36th minute. His run began in his own half after a loose pass from City and he dribbled past two players before curling home a shot from the edge of the area.

Kevin De Bruyne curled a free kick into the top corner from 25 metres to make it 1-1, but City still needed another goal to stop Liverpool celebrating.

However, Fernandinho was sent off in the 77th for punching the ball away on the line and Willian sent goalkeeper Ederson Moraes the wrong way from the penalty spot and the party could get started for Liverpool.

Earlier on Thursday, Arsenal kept alive their hopes of qualifying for Europe as Eddie Nketiah punished a howler from Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy to inspire a much-needed 2-0 win.

Mikel Arteta’s side were handed the opener in the first half at St Mary’s when Nketiah picked off McCarthy’s pass and fired home.

Joe Willock doubled Arsenal’s lead late in the second half, moments after Southampton’s Jack Stephens was sent off for bringing down Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Arsenal had suffered two successive defeats following the Premier League restart after the coronavirus hiatus and success at St Mary’s lifted them into ninth place and kept them in the hunt for a Europa League berth.

In Thursday’s other early kick-off, Burnley beat struggling Watford 1-0 thanks to Jay Rodriguez’s 73rd-minute goal. Burnley remain in mid-table, while Watford are just one point above the relegation zone.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2020