Liverpool Become Premier League Champions after 30-Year Wait

After being crowned champions of the Premier League following the 2-1 loss of Manchester City in Chelsea on Thursday, Liverpool ended their 30-year wait for a top-flight title.

Jurgen Klopp 's side defeated Crystal Palace 4-0 on Wednesday night, leaving just two points out of the remaining seven games to win the title. But with Manchester City now 23 points behind, with seven games remaining after Thursday's Stamford Bridge result, Liverpool's lead at the top of the standings is unassailable.

Triumph put the 30-year gap to an end when Klopp 's 2020 team ended up looking on a top-flight title dating back to 1990 when Kenny Dalglish captured the old Football League championship. Last season's achievement ensures that Liverpool now has 19 trophies under its history, one behind Manchester United, which remains on 20.

"I have no words. It's unbelievable," Klopp told Sky Sports in an interview after the Chelsea win. "It's much more than I ever thought, to become champions with this outstanding club is unbelievable."

Liverpool set all manner of milestones during an unforgettable season. They've put together a record-equalling streak of 18 straight victories from October through to Feb. 29 and captured every league match at home this season, making it a remarkable 23 recovery. They also set a club record of 44 matches without defeat, stretching back to last season.

"It's an incredible achievement for my players," Klopp said.

The long wait has set off celebrations all over the soccer-mad city. And Klopp said the sensation that he was a winner with the Reds was indescribable.

"It's the greatest thing I might ever picture, because it's better than I've ever thought of," he added.

Liverpool's chief boss, John W. Henry, paid tribute to the social network team's "magnificent achievement."

"'This was a season for the ages and for the faithful of Liverpool Football Club," Henry, who is head of Fenway Sports Group, tweeted.

"'It has been an incredible year of magnificent achievement culminating tonight in capturing the Premier League title.

"'This in addition to winning a European championship, a Super Cup and a world championship -- the totality of this accomplishment has brought respite and joy to so many in a year filled with so much tragedy.

"'LFC has made the beautiful game more beautiful than ever.

"It is said, 'We are Liverpool'. You, the supporters are Liverpool in every sense and you continue to drive the club forward -- a historic club making history once again."

Once sport was delayed owing to the coronavirus pandemic, Klopp worried that his Liverpool team would be missing the opportunity to capture the championship on the pitch. Liverpool was 25 points clear at the summit before the competition was stopped in March.

Discussions followed on how best to restart the league. Klopp admitted before Liverpool's match against Everton last Sunday that he was worried the league would be decided by points per game or even voided. But to Klopp's relief, the league restarted on June 17 and since then Liverpool have drawn with Merseyside rivals Everton 0-0 and swiped aside Palace to get over the finishing line.

Klopp follows Bob Paisley, Kenny Dalglish and Bill Shankly in Liverpool's management department to capture the league championship, and Jordan Henderson, who championed the Players Together Project after the lockout to collect vital funds for the National Health Service ( NHS), as the Premier League-winning captain.

Manchester City did their best to pin back Liverpool's lead throughout the season, but there was no stopping Klopp's runaway side. They have led the standings since the second week of the season, and suffered their first Premier League defeat only in February, with a surprise 3-0 loss against Watford.

Guardiola paid tribute to Liverpool after his side's loss.

"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," he added.

A slightly dodgy spell of form followed as Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup and the Champions League, but the season hiatus allowed star goalkeeper Alisson to return to full fitness and prompted Liverpool to shift back into familiar winning ways.

Klopp said midweek that it was "unthinkable" that any team would be 20 points ahead of Manchester City -- meaning his team "must've done a couple of things really well and right" -- but the result at Stamford Bridge on Thursday will spark joy throughout Liverpool. In the 30-year drought Liverpool won the 2005 and 2019 Champions Leagues and three FA Cups, but the league triumph sees them return to the summit of English football.

It has been a fantastic campaign, with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane chipping in with 17 and 15 league goals, respectively. The full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson have 20 assists between them, while that lethal front three of Salah, Mane, and Roberto Firmino chipped in with a further 21 assists. 

Alisson has the cleanest sheets in the Premier League this term with 12, while Klopp has won five of the seven awards to the Month Manager.

It's been a tale of domination, but Liverpool will have to wait to celebrate the Premier League season with fans playing behind closed doors.

Source: ESPN