Liverpool has just secured the Premier League title, beating Tottenham-x0, four matches ahead of the end of the season. Not only have the Reds become one of the clubs with the most EPL titles (tied with Man Utd with 20 trophies), but one of the three clubs to win it so early: Man City and Man Utd.
Indeed, the 2024/25 season has been nothing short of legendary for Liverpool players and fans, even though there are still a couple of matches ahead. Here’s how the club has built the squad for this epic victory, the most impressive campaign numbers, and what’s next.
Betting on the Winners
Those who decided to bet on Liverpool on platforms like Stake this season rarely missed a bet. The club lost only two out of the 34 matches this season, drawing on seven occasions and winning 25 times. Not bad for Arne Slot’s first season ahead of the Reds. Liverpool last won the Premier League in 2020 but has always been a strong contender.
Last year, it finished third, which was good enough to earn a slot in the UEFA Champions League 2024/25. Still, during this EPL, Liverpool has made Soccer betting almost predictable. Liverpool shook the net 80 times this season, 17 goals and 15 points ahead of the runner-up Arsenal.
Naturally, bets on the outright winner are already closed. However, four teams are still battling for the remaining three places among the Top 4 to secure their qualification to the next Champions League. It means the ball is still rolling in the best online sportsbooks, and plenty of adrenaline is yet to come.
Making History
Despite having a stellar squad, Liverpool isn’t the most expensive club in the EPL. In fact, it’s not even among the Top 3, which includes Man Utd, Chelsea, and Man City. Compared to other clubs in the Champions League, Liverpool’s workforce isn’t expensive enough to figure among the Top 6 clubs. Yet, it’s nearly unbeatable, currently leading the table, ahead of Barcelona, Arsenal, and Inter Milan, winning seven games out of eight, losing only one match.
It’s also important to notice that the squad didn’t change a lot in 2024, apart from two new players and a new Head Coach, Arne Slot, the man behind the ground-breaking victory in the EPL 2024/25. Indeed, this season’s squad looks pretty much like the one that finished third in the last one. Still, the Reds have spent 243 days leading the competition, more than 190 days above any other club.
It’s impossible to pick a single reason why Liverpool went so well this season, as there was a combination of factors. Still, such positive results can be explained by the number of shots, 591, surpassing all other teams by at least 40. It’s still behind the absolute EPL record, which belongs to Chelsea’s machine-gunning 2003/04 over 830 shots in just 34 games, but the Reds were undeniably above their competitors anyway.
Arne Slot’s Magic
The new boss at Liverpool, Arne Slot, has been congratulated by his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp, for the landslide victory. It’s impressive how Slot managed to create a revolution in the team only with a few tactical tweaks. On more than one occasion, Slot mentioned that Klopp’s and Guardiola’s styles have influenced his way of thinking.
However, the Dutch coach has significantly changed the defence’s attitude, having Alisson and other players holding the ball until the opponents started to flock to them. It’s risky, but skilled players can do it, and Liverpool has plenty. Statistics show that the Reds have kept the ball in their own defensive third of the field for a long time: on average, 130 passes in that region over the season, which still can grow.
The dangerous style looks very similar to what Roberto de Zerbi did to Brighton, with positive effects. Still, Slot counted on a lavish defensive lineup, with names like Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, as well as the Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson, which explains why this tactic played out so well for the team.
Despite having more shots than any other team this season, the Reds still shot fewer times than in the previous one. Slot’s approach goes against the fire-at-will style, focusing more on ball control to create the right scenarios for an attempt by killers like Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Luis Diaz. The numbers speak for themselves, and no other team scored as many times as the Reds; not even close.
Best Players
Successful teams don’t rely on individual stars but on the collective and conscious effort of the entire lineup. That is not to say that Liverpool doesn’t have stars; it has plenty, which makes this approach even more effective. Still, some players stood out from the pack and were vital for the early victory in the EPL. Learn more about them below.
Mohamed Salah
The Egyptian 32-year-old striker has helped the Reds to break a few records while also breaking a few individual ones. He has never been involved in so many goals (46), scoring 28 times, better than in the 2017/18 season and a lot better than last year. Indeed, Salah has played each match with fierce dedication, even though his situation in the club remains unclear.
The striker wanted to leave the club due to differences with Klopp, but he has changed his mind under Slot. So, he played each game as if it were the final, explaining his all-time high results. Indeed, he has never scored so many times in any other season with the red jersey. Salah joined the club in 2017, having won the EPL twice, plus nine other top-flight trophies in this period.
Virgil van Dijk
The Dutch defender was on the field for every minute of the competition, showing outstanding stamina and reliability, which are key qualities for a good captain. The Premier League is very intense; every match is a battle, and quite often, there’s little time to rest. Still, Virgil van Dijk was unstoppable.
He was the only sure name on the defensive line, as most Red defenders were plagued by injury, forcing constant changes in the lineup. Van Dijk’s work ethic, discipline, and technique helped the defensive line remain solid, even if not mistake-free. He joined the Reds in 2018, having lifted major trophies seven times before the most recent victory, but that’s the first EPL title he lifted with the heavy armband.
Ryan Gravenberch
Ryan Gravenberch is another Dutch player who got along pretty well with the new Dutch coach. The 22-year-old centre-midfielder was the team’s backbone for most of the time, mastering ball retention and passing and a sharp view of the attacking line. Gravenberch’s potential seems to have flourished under Slot’s leadership, surprising many fans.
The Dutch player easily moved across the penalty box, leaving many pressing midfielders behind. Indeed, his ability to retain ball possession even in tight spaces has been fundamental for the team’s success. Gravenberch has performed world-class up to last February, but he is getting understandably tired towards the end of the season.
Cody Gakpo
Here’s another game-changing Dutch midfielder who shone brightly under Slot’s leadership. Truth be told, Cody Gakpo also has outstanding results in the Netherlands national squad. With the orange jersey, Gakpo has scored 16 times, providing five assists. During this season, he shook the net nine times for the Reds.
As the Premier League nears the end, Cody Gakpo celebrates the historical run while lamenting painful losses in competitions like the Champions League, the FA Cup, and the Carabao Cup. Indeed, such a positive result makes it possible to dream of much better results this time for UEFA’s biggest club tournament.
Alexis Mac Allister
It’s only the second season with the Reds, and the Argentinian midfielder, Alexis Mac Allister, is already part of an unforgettable victory. Indeed, the 26-year-old footballer seems to be at his peak, featuring among the most valued midfielders of his generation. He started nearly every game with remarkable consistency and management, helping the entire squad adapt to the new playing style.
Alexis Mac Allister also has attacking abilities, and he scored five times this season, just like he did in the last one; not bad for a midfielder. Alexis’ position is close to the defensive side, but his speed and stamina allow him to be anywhere on the field in a few seconds. Not even his one-game suspension for a foul while playing at home against Fulham has dimmed his brilliance this season.
Alisson
The Brazilian goalkeeper missed nearly a dozen games in the competition but still had many important moments. Alisson was outstanding during crucial victories over Man City, West Ham United, and Bournemouth. Even though he missed many games, Alisson is still one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and he made every appearance count.
The goal didn’t seem less protected in his absence, as Caoimhin Kelleher lost only one of the 10 games he played. Still, Alisson’s ability in one-on-one situations rendered quite a few “impossible” saves that could have changed the game if missed. Alisson suffered from a concussion while playing with Brazil’s national squad and had to spend some time off.
What’s Next
The EPL trophy may already be in the bag, but Liverpool still has four games ahead: Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton, and Crystal Palace. Arsenal and Chelsea are the best-positioned contenders. Arsenal can no longer dream about the title, but it needs to stand its ground against third-place Newcastle, which is only five points behind. Chelsea occupies the 5th position but needs a few victories to secure its place in the next Champions League.
These matches will likely be challenging, and if bad results can’t steal Liverpool’s glory, they can scratch it. Indeed, the 20th Premier League title was an invigorating comeback after leaving the Champions League 2024/25 after a dramatic penalty shootout against Paris Saint-Germain. Not long after, the Reds were beaten by Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final. Will the Anfield side manage to keep its momentum?
Two out of the four matches ahead will be against potential Champions League contenders, who are currently fighting tooth and nail for a place in the next season. It means that despite the early title, some pretty hot matches are still ahead. Anyway, Liverpool rose to one of the clubs with Premier League titles under Slot, sharing the top with its sworn enemy, Man Utd.
The UEFA Champions League has 25 spots this season, but not many of them have been filled already. Except for Liverpool, only Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern München, Bayer Leverkusen, and Slavia Praha. Chelsea and Villarreal are already there due to their performance in the previous season.
Final Shot
In its history, Liverpool won six European League titles but only two in the modern Champions League format: 2005 and 2019. In 2005, the club exceeded everybody’s expectations, with Rafael Benitez still in his first year in office. More impressively, it was losing by 3-0 against AC Milan before the end of the first half. During the second half, the Reds scored three times. The game ended in a gut-wrenching penalty shootout, with Liverpool beating Milan by 3-2.
In 2019, with Salah and Klopp, the club had a much calmer victory, beating Tottenham by 2-0 in the final, while Barcelona was beaten by 4-0 in the semifinal. It’s interesting to notice that Liverpool didn’t bag the EPL that year, finishing runner-up, even though it was comfortably ahead of the third place, Chelsea. Now, the Reds are comfortably ahead of the entire table.
It’s been a while since the Reds have lifted the European trophy, but they got pretty close to it in 2007, 2018, and 2022. Undoubtedly, there are many reasons for optimism this time. Salah is still around, and the squad looks much sharper under new guidance. Liverpool can use its tremendous prize money to bring top-flight reinforcements for the next European challenges. Still, considering Liverpool’s campaign in the current Premier League, there isn’t much missing in the team.
