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 at home, on Sunday, after putting five past Tottenham, it appeared nothing would get in the way of celebrations in and outside Anfield, and the pubs and streets in the city beyond.
Scottish born Karen McKenzie, a veteran supporter of 46 years, said she travelled from Canada, where she now lives, “just for this day”.
“We don’t have a ticket, but my son and I came, and we knew they were going to win today, and it was just amazing,” Ms McKenzie, 61, told the Liverpool Echo following the win. “I’m so ecstatic, I’m so emotional.”
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”.
Revellers appeared determined to make use of their reclaimed liberties, by not only flooding the streets, city squares, and venues, but climbing onto the rooftops to watch the celebrations from below, with one man photographed waving a flag from atop a building.
The moment victory was sealed prompted an eruption of joy from outdoor venue The Sandon, which could not escape the red smoke which had by then worked its way across much of the city.
Liverpool fan of 45 years Irfan told 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 fortunate to get away with 5-1.”
Though Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke threatened to spoil the party when his header opened the scoring early on, Luis Diaz equalised minutes later, with Alexis MacAllister and Cody Gakpo effectively securing the result before the break clear.
At the final whistle, keeper Alisson Becker and star winger Mohamed Salah were among those who fell to the turf. Manager Arne Slot allowed himself a congratulatory hug with his backroom staff.
The players danced wildly in front of the Kop as fireworks exploded in the streets behind it before lining up arm-in-arm for a rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.
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.”
Others spoke of the unbelievable scenes both inside and outside the stadium, with one posting: “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 undoubtedly a triumph for debutant Slot. “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,” he told Liverpool FC TV.
“It’s special. Special to be part of this day and, to do this in front of our fans, it’s special for everyone.”
That was certainly the prevailing feeling of a city resolved to join together and celebrate properly – and well into the night.
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