Liverpool made easy work of Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Sunday to clinch a first title since 2020 and only their second in 35 years.
The Reds, 15 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with four games left, are now level with bitter rivals Manchester United as the joint most successful club in English top-flight history.
The Reds’ last title, five years ago, was slightly anticlimactic as it came during the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning Anfield was nearly empty when the trophy was presented due to restrictions.
Tens of thousands of fans swarmed around Anfield in the build-up to kick-off in anticipation of Liverpool’s coronation, setting off flares in the warm spring sunshine as the home team bus arrived.
Liverpool’s Dutch manager Arne Slot and Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper #01 Alisson Becker embrace as Liverpool’s players celebrate on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on April 27, 2025. Liverpool were crowned English champions for a record-equalling 20th time as a 5-1 rout of Tottenham on Sunday sealed their first Premier League title since 2020. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Slot’s men started on the front foot at an expectant Anfield after a stirring rendition of club anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in the warm spring sunshine.
Mohamed Salah had an early sighter and Cody Gakpo went close with a spectacular overhead kick but Tottenham briefly threatened to become party poopers when Dominic Solanke powered home a header from a James Maddison corner in the 12th minute.
But Liverpool were level just four minutes later when Luis Diaz converted Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross from close range. The offside flag went up but VAR awarded the goal.
The momentum was now all with Liverpool and the home side took the lead in the 24th minute when Alexis Mac Allister thundered the ball home from the 18-yard line past the flying Guglielmo Vicario.
Now the party was well and truly started and Gakpo made it 3-1, slamming a shot into the bottom corner after Spurs failed to clear.
Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker #09 Darwin Nunez blows a kis to th e fans after the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on April 27, 2025. Liverpool won the match 5-1, making them the winners of the Premier League title. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou had made eight changes from the team that lost to Nottingham Forest last week as he prioritises the semi-finals of the Europa League and they now had a mountain to climb.
The Liverpool fans — deprived of celebrating the 2020 Premier League trophy due to Covid restrictions, ran through their full repertoire of songs as their team pushed for a fourth goal in the second half.
– Salah selfie –
Liverpool’s Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah takes a selfie with the fans after scoring their fourth goal during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on April 27, 2025. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Top-scorer Salah scored the goal the crowd craved, collecting Szoboszlai’s pass before cutting in and blasting his shot into the bottom corner.
He celebrated by grabbing a fan’s phone before taking a selfie in front of the Kop.
Deafening cheers of “We’re going to win the league” and “We shall not be moved” rang out.
Liverpool had a fifth when Spurs defender Destiny Udogie poked the ball past his own goalkeeper from close range with about 20 minutes to go as the game turned into a procession.
As the game went into added time the club’s anthem rang out again as scarves were held aloft and the final whistle elicited a thunderous roar.
The win leaves Liverpool on 82 points, 15 clear of nearest challengers Arsenal with just four games remaining.
Liverpool’s Dutch manager Arne Slot waves to the fans after the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on April 27, 2025. Liverpool won the match 5-1, making them the winners of the Premier League title. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) /
Tottenham are a miserable 16th in the Premier League table after their 19th defeat of the season, putting Postecoglou under enormous pressure.
Tens of thousands of fans swarmed around Anfield in the build-up to kick-off in anticipation of Liverpool’s coronation, setting off flares as the home team bus arrived.
Flags and scarves saying “Liverpool 20-time Champions” were on sale from stalls outside the ground.
At the start of the campaign, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City were favourites to extend their dynastic Premier League reign and make it five titles in a row but their form collapsed.
Liverpool’s Dutch manager Arne Slot reacts as Liverpool’s Dutch defender #04 Virgil van Dijk (L) and Liverpool’s English midfielder #19 Harvey Elliott spray him with champagne after the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on April 27, 2025. Liverpool won the match 5-1, making them the winners of the Premier League title. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Arsenal emerged as their closest challengers but they drew too many games, failing to take advantage of the rare Liverpool slip-ups.
It was feared Liverpool’s players would need time to adapt to the methods of Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp last June following the German’s departure after nine trophy-filled years at Anfield.
But the former Feyenoord boss has sailed serenely through the season despite relentless speculation over the futures of three of his biggest stars — Salah, captain Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Both Salah and Van Dijk have now signed two-year extensions, though England defender Alexander-Arnold is believed likely to be on the verge of a move to Real Madrid.
Barcelona completes contract renewal with head coach Hansi Flick, per official announcement.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Flick’s new contract with Barcelona runs until June 2028, with an option to extend until June 2029, meaning the coach could stay for three more seasons.
In his first season in charge, Flick led the team to a domestic treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.
This season, Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup again and retained the La Liga title, bringing his total to five trophies in two seasons.
Erling Haaland will follow in the footsteps of David Beckham and Vinnie Jones by taking his first steps into the acting world, with the Norwegian striker set to make his film debut.
The Manchester City striker will voice a character described as ‘an animated version of himself’, in the upcoming animated film Viqueens.
This is according to the Hollywood Reporter, who say that the 25-year-old is playing a Viking called Haaland in the motion picture.
The adventure-comedy is directed and co-written by the award-winning Harald Zwart, the Norwegian director known for The Karate Kid and Agent Cody Banks.
‘As a Norwegian storyteller making a Viking adventure for a global audience, having Erling Haaland join feels incredibly exciting,’ said Zwart.
‘Erling has already become a kind of real-life Viking icon around the world – powerful, fearless and uniquely Norwegian.
‘Bringing him into this universe as himself gives the film an unexpected energy and authenticity that felt completely right for this story.’
Solveig Langeland, managing director of Sola Media, added: ‘Erling Haaland transcends sports – he’s a global cultural figure.
‘His involvement brings another exciting dimension to a film that already combines international adventure, humour, and emotional storytelling in a way we believe will resonate with audiences everywhere.’
He follows the likes of Beckham and Jones, who have already hit the cinema screens around the country.
Beckham made his silver screen debut in his pal Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur back in 2017 alongside film stars Charlie Hunnam and Eric Bana, playing hardened battleguard Trigger in the flick.
Meanwhile, Jones is known for portraying gangsters on screen, and as recently as 2024 played gamekeeper Geoff in Ritchie’s series The Gentlemen, featuring Theo James.
He famously also played Coach Dinklage in She’s the Man, and was The Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand.
Haaland may need a while before he becomes the big actor that Jones has become, though, with plenty of years on the pitch still ahead of him.
The striker’s focus will currently be on winning the Premier League with Manchester City, as they look to hunt down Arsenal, who are two points ahead at the top, with two games to go.
Haaland will next be in action on Tuesday night as they travel to Bournemouth.
Iran’s national football team was headed to Turkey on Monday to play a final friendly match and apply for visas to fly to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, Iranian media reported.
The team plan to participate in the tournament despite co-host Washington having launched a war against Iran with a massive wave of attacks alongside ally Israel on February 28.
The fighting has been on hold for weeks thanks to a ceasefire, but peace talks have failed to make a breakthrough and new drone attacks against Gulf countries at the weekend combined with threats from US President Donald Trump raising fears of a return to fighting.
The team “departed this morning for Antalya, Turkey to play its final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup,” the Tasnim news agency reported.
It said the squad consisted of 22 domestic-based players alongside their coaching staff.
On Saturday, head coach Amir Ghalenoei said they would also be completing visa applications for the US while in Turkey.
– ‘Let ’em play’ –
Iran secured their spot at the World Cup in March 2025, but since then the United States has twice launched attacks on the country.
US officials have insisted that Iran is welcome at the tournament, while organiser FIFA has said it will go ahead as planned and rejected Iranian suggestions that their games be moved to co-hosts Mexico or Canada.
“I think let ’em play,” Trump said in late April.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any problem would not be with Iranian players but “some of the other people (they) would want to bring with them”, suggesting they may have ties to the Revolutionary Guards, which Washington has branded a terrorist organisation.
Last month, officials from Iran’s football federation abandoned a trip to the FIFA congress in Canada, saying they had been “insulted” by Canadian immigration officers.
One of their delegation, Mehdi Taj, is a former member of the Revolutionary Guards, which Canada has also designated a terror group.
The Iranian football team hope to play two friendlies in Antalya.
They have already confirmed one match, against The Gambia, on May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that sets up friendlies for the team.
“No visas have been issued yet,” Taj, the head of Iran’s football federation, told Iranian media on Thursday.
On Saturday, FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom held a meeting in Turkey with the federation, describing it as constructive, as did Taj.
When the squad reaches the United States, Iran will set up their base camp in Tucson, Arizona.
The team, who are in Group G, are due to kick off their campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle.
