Liverpool’s rain-soaked, jubilant supporters knew it with 90 seconds left in a defining win over Manchester City.
As the final whistle approached, the chorus of “We’re going to win the league” echoed around the Etihad, the chant bouncing off rows of empty sky-blue seats. With an 11-point lead at the top of the table, they weren’t wrong.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This title race is over.
Arne Slot’s smooth transition from Jurgen Klopp is set to deliver the prize Liverpool’s legendary managers—Shankly, Paisley, Fagan—revered above all others. The “bread and butter” is coming home.
A dominant 2-0 win at the Etihad, combined with Arsenal’s slip-up against West Ham, means that while pundits and analysts could spend thousands of words debating the title race, the truth is simple: it’s done.
The Etihad, so often the scene of City’s title celebrations, felt like it had been taken over. But this time, it wasn’t another Pep Guardiola triumph. It was Liverpool’s fans sending a clear message—“Hand it over.”
Mathematically, there’s still a fight to be had. But football is not unpredictable enough to see a relentless Liverpool side, beaten just once all season, throw away an 11-point cushion with 11 games remaining—especially with seven of those at Anfield.
Arsenal? Their game in hand is becoming an afterthought. They not only need perfection but also a Liverpool collapse, an implausible scenario given Slot’s well-oiled machine.
Slot remained diplomatic.
“In any other league, a lead like this would be comfortable, but not here,” he said. “Every game is a challenge. The fans can sing, but we know how hard we have to work.”
History offers only faint hope to Liverpool’s challengers. The closest comparison dates back to 1997-98 when Manchester United squandered an 11-point lead to Arsenal. But United had already lost five games that season; Liverpool have just one league defeat all year.
And this Arsenal side, for all their progress under Mikel Arteta, does not resemble the relentless, title-chasing machine Arsène Wenger built in the late ‘90s.
Even Guardiola seemed to acknowledge the inevitable, sidestepping the question of Liverpool’s dominance with two of his own:
“How many points are they ahead of Arsenal? How many games have they lost?”
Say no more.
At the final whistle, Guardiola warmly congratulated Slot before shaking hands with every Liverpool player. He knows a title-winning side when he sees one.
Match of the Day pundit and former England goalkeeper Joe Hart put it bluntly:
“There’s no way back for Arsenal. Even if they win every game from here, it won’t be enough.”
Liverpool’s supremacy is not just in points but in performance. Slot’s team leads the league in goals (64), shots (452), and shots on target (173). Every meaningful metric points to one conclusion: this is their season.
At the heart of it all? Mohamed Salah.
His goal and assist against City took his season tally to 30 goals and 21 assists—an astonishing 51 goal contributions before the end of February. He now joins Liverpool greats Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as one of only three players to hit 30 goals in five separate seasons for the club.
For Liverpool, this win was more than three points. It was a statement. Twice before, Guardiola’s City have pipped them on the final day. Not this time.
Liverpool had won just one of their last 15 league trips to the Etihad before this. Now, they’ve conquered their toughest hurdle, leaving their rivals in the dust.
Barring a miracle, the rest of the season will be a Liverpool procession.
Premature? Hardly. It’s no longer a question of if the title will return to Anfield, but when.
Start the car. Or in this case, warm up the open-top parade bus.
Slot has added his own tactical touches to Klopp’s heavy-metal football, refining it into a ruthless, efficient machine. His Liverpool doesn’t just overpower opponents—they outthink them.
Against City, they had just 33.9% possession, their lowest in a Premier League win since Opta began tracking the stat in 2003-04. They had fewer shots, fewer touches in the box—but total control.
“They had a plan for everything City threw at them,” said Hart. “They dominated in all the areas that mattered.”
Guardiola’s team had more of the ball, but Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson barely had a save to make.
The second half? A formality. Liverpool’s defense stood firm, their counterattack lethal, their intent clear.
The Premier League’s scriptwriters can delay the coronation all they like, but this story has already been written.
Liverpool are champions-elect.
