Virgil van Dijk lifted the Premier League trophy as Liverpool celebrated their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday, marking their first title party with fans at Anfield in 35 years.
Arne Slot’s squad had already secured their record-tying 20th English league title in April after a commanding win over Tottenham. However, the long-awaited trophy ceremony was saved for the season’s final game.
Unlike their 2020 triumph, which saw Jordan Henderson raise the trophy in an empty stadium due to the Covid-19 lockdown, this time Liverpool were able to celebrate in front of their supporters. Anfield’s 61,000 fans joined in the festivities, honoring the club’s storied history.
“It’s always special to win something, but at some clubs, it means even more,” Slot said. “You don’t really expect anything like this. The Premier League has always been such a tight race in recent years, so to be part of this is amazing, let alone to actually win it.”
Alan Hansen, who captained Liverpool during their last full Anfield title celebration in 1990, presented the trophy to current skipper Van Dijk. Club legend Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool’s manager back in 1990, was in the stands, as was Jurgen Klopp, who guided the Reds to their 2020 title before departing last year.
The celebration was a spectacle of fireworks, smoke, and red ticker tape. Banners and flags adorned the Kop, praising the new champions. Even Trent Alexander-Arnold, set to join Real Madrid this summer, was given a warm send-off on his final appearance for his boyhood club. Having been booed earlier this month after his announcement, the Liverpool-born right-back received cheers and responded by kissing his badge as he came off the bench.
Although Liverpool failed to win any of their final four games, the mood at Anfield was electric. Before kickoff, Palace’s players formed a guard of honor for the new champions, who returned the gesture to honor the FA Cup winners.
Ismaila Sarr opened the scoring for Palace in the ninth minute, but it didn’t dampen the celebratory spirit. Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 68th minute for a foul on Daichi Kamada, after earlier being booked for diving. Mohamed Salah salvaged a point for Liverpool in the 84th minute, bundling in his 29th goal of the season. That tally equaled the record for the most goal involvements in a Premier League season, matching the 47 achieved by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer in a 42-game campaign.
Salah also claimed the Premier League’s golden boot for a record-equalling fourth time.
After the final whistle, Liverpool’s players joined together to sing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone,’ creating a rousing scene as the trophy was paraded. The celebrations are expected to continue on Monday, with an open-top bus parade through the city.
