Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur today knowing a win or draw will see them crowned Premier League champions for 2024-25.
Arne Slot has engineered a highly impressive and successful debut season domestically after succeeding Jurgen Klopp at Anfield and will soon have the trophy his side have deserved.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have nothing to play for in the Premier League as their full focus remains fixed on their upcoming Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday.
Start time: 4.30pm BST, 11.30am ET, 8.30am PT
How to watch: Sky Sports (UK), Peacock (U.S.)
Line-ups: Announced 75 minutes before kick-off
Contact: live@theathletic.com
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This is the fourth time we're getting Liverpool versus Tottenham Hotspur this season after the first league meeting of the campaign and the two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final played earlier this year.
Liverpool thrashed Spurs 6-3 in the Premier League fixture in a result which actually flattered the hosts a little.
And Arne Slot's men came out on top in the cup clash too, with a 4-1 aggregate win. Things were finely balanced after a 1-0 win for Spurs in the first leg before Liverpool demolished them at Anfield in February.
Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Virgil van Dijk all got on the scoresheet to book a trip to Wembley, but it proved a fruitless trip to the capital as they were beaten by Newcastle United.
Can Tottenham avenge that 4-0 second-leg humbling? They have shown they are capable of beating Liverpool already this season...
No secret has been made of Tottenham's desire to put all their eggs in the Europa League basket. So it wasn't particularly surprising to see them lose against Nottingham Forest on Monday evening.
In front of their own fans, Ange Postecoglou's inconsistent side — who are 16th in the Premier League — were 2-0 down inside 20 minutes after goals from Elliot Anderson and Chris Wood.
Spurs wasted a host of chances via a mixture of poor finishing (mostly from Richarlison) and fine goalkeeping from Matz Sels, before Richarlison finally halved the deficit with a well-placed header late on.
Forest held on for a vital win, pushing them up to third ahead of this weekend's fixture slate. The defeat left Tottenham 16th and at real risk of finishing in the final place above the relegation zone.
Talk of Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid this summer has rumbled on for so long that the full-back's legacy has become a divisive topic at Anfield.
Would you swap club legend status at your boyhood club for the challenge of one of the world's biggest clubs?
It's the question he is facing but, according to team-mate Virgil van Dijk, whatever happens this summer, Alexander-Arnold should be remembered fondly at Anfield.
💬 “Since I’ve joined the club, he has been a fantastic player and there’s a lot of good things that he will always be remembered for if he decides to leave. But listen, at this point we don’t know as a group what’s going to happen.”
Trent Alexander-Arnold said his winning goal for Liverpool at Leicester City was a “special moment” but refused to comment on his future amid interest from Real Madrid.
The Athletic reported last month the European champions were working on a deal to sign the 26-year-old when his contract at Anfield expires this summer. He discussed that situation on Sky Sports at full time last Sunday.
💬 “I’ve said all season I’m not going to speak on my situation, I’m not going to go into details, but these days like today are always special.
“Scoring goals, winning games, being close to winning titles, they’re special moments that will live for me forever. I’m glad to be a part of them.”
I am currently standing outside the Mere public house on the corner of Mere Lane and St Domingo Road and it’s much busier than it normally would be three hours before kick off.
It seems Virgil van Dijk’s message has got through.
Liverpool are within touching distance of the Premier League title and it is in no small part thanks to Trent Alexander-Arnold's winner against Leicester City last weekend.
Arne Slot's side have had one hand on the trophy for weeks now but their grip tightened after that 1-0 win in the East Midlands.
An ankle injury meant Alexander-Arnold had not played for five weeks before being introduced as a second-half substitute. But he was back like he never left, hammering a powerful left-footed volley through Mads Hermansen and into the back of the net.
Cue euphoria from the 26-year-old and from everyone in the away end as he raced over to the travelling fans having ripped off his shirt and tossed it into the air.
Alexander-Arnold's contract expires at the end of this season and he is expected to join Real Madrid on a free transfer, so there's every chance it was his last iconic moment at the club.
Has this been a vintage Premier League season? Perhaps not. But there are plenty of reasons why Liverpool's impending title win should be seen as a positive for the English game.
That's what our writer Michael Cox thinks anyway — and he makes a convincing case.
Liverpool have shown that you do not need to spend big money on transfers to guarantee success, evidenced by the fact that they only signed Federico Chiesa, who has still not started a Premier League game, last summer*.
They have also shown great technical quality and have given their top-class footballers some freedom. If they get it wrapped up today, they are worthy winners.
*Liverpool also signed Giorgi Mamardashvili but he has spent this season back on loan with Valencia and will join at the end of the season.
After second-placed Arsenal dropped points against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, the formula is clear for Liverpool: win or draw today to guarantee the Premier League title.
Today's hosts are 12 points clear at the top with five games left to play, one more than Mikel Arteta's men.
Given Arsenal can only earn a maximum of 12 points from those four games, with a maximum points finish of 79, Liverpool will win the league if they get even a point today, adding one to their total of 79 and taking them to an unassailable 80.
As it is FA Cup semi-final weekend, we have lost three Premier League fixtures this weekend.
After five were played yesterday, there are just two today.
Before we focus on the champions-elect at Anfield, Manchester United are on the south coast playing Bournemouth.
In the FA Cup, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest will battle for a place in the final at the same time as kick-off here.
Anfield, Liverpool
On Merseyside lies the spiritual home of Liverpool Football Club: Anfield.
The home of the team since its foundation in 1892, it holds 61,276 people and there won't be a spare seat in the house today with fans flocking to see their heroes (potentially) crowned champions.
It's fair to say we can expect a party atmosphere!
Hello everyone and welcome along to The Athletic, where today we're covering Liverpool's potential coronation as the 2024-25 Premier League champions.
Arne Slot's men host Tottenham Hotspur, a team who couldn't really be much further from the title race, knowing that just one more point will win them the title.
Liverpool are all but mathematically confirmed as title winners, but they can officially sign, seal, and deliver glory with a win or draw today in front of their own supporters.
So can they do it? You can find out right here, with all the build-up, predictions, team news, quotes, stats, and more ahead of kick-off. Stick with us; we've got you covered.