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Liverpool crowned champions: How their title-winning season unfolded

Following Liverpool's long-awaited coronation as Premier League champions, Sports Mole looks back at the story of how they won title number 19.

Liverpool have won the 2019-20 Premier League title following Manchester City's defeat at the hands of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this evening.

The Reds' 4-0 drubbing of Crystal Palace on Wednesday left Man City knowing that only a victory in West London would prolong their reign as champions until Liverpool visit the Etihad Stadium on July 2.

However, Chelsea's 2-1 victory leaves Man City 23 points adrift of Jurgen Klopp's side with only 21 points left to fight for, giving Liverpool an unassailable lead.

The result caps off a campaign of unprecedented dominance for the Merseysiders as they end a long, 30-year wait to be crowned champions of England for a 19th time, and a first since 1990.

Here, Sports Mole takes a month-by-month look at how Liverpool's record-breaking season has unfolded.



AUGUST

Liverpool players celebrate Mohamed Salah's goal against Norwich City in the Premier League on August 9, 2019© Reuters

Liverpool were handed about as easy a start as they could have hoped for on paper, hosting newly-promoted Norwich City at Anfield on the opening day, although the Canaries caused them problems during Liverpool's 4-1 win.

Aside from the odd scare from Norwich attacks, Liverpool also lost Alisson Becker to an injury which forced Adrian - signed only days before on a free transfer - to fill in for the next seven games.

Mohamed Salah got his season's account up and running, and the rest of the front three joined him in the next game as Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino scored in a 2-1 win over Southampton.

Former Liverpool striker Danny Ings did set up a nervy finale with a goal back in the 80th minute, though, and he squandered a glorious chance to earn a share of the spoils even later on.

It would by no means be Liverpool's last close shave of the season, but the rest of the month passed by without much trouble as a brace from Salah helped them to a 3-1 win over Arsenal before seeing out the month by beating Burnley.



SEPTEMBER

Trent Alexander-Arnold scores for Liverpool against Chelsea in the Premier League on September 22, 2019.© Reuters

The Reds' 100% record continued into September with victories over Newcastle United, Chelsea and Sheffield United, although they had to come from behind in the first of those after Jetro Willems had stunned Anfield in style.

A 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge was arguably the firmest signal of their title credentials so far, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Firmino on the scoresheet in West London.

Liverpool then needed a rare howler from Sheffield United goalkeeper Dean Henderson to get past the Blades, with Georginio Wijnaldum the beneficiary from his handling error in an otherwise frustrating game for the leaders.



OCTOBER

Liverpool's James Milner celebrates scoring their second goal with Jordan Henderson and Divock Origi on October 5, 2019© Reuters

Liverpool looked on course to drop their first points of the campaign at home to Leicester City in their opening match of October, with former boss Brendan Rodgers almost masterminding a smash-and-grab draw when James Maddison cancelled out Mane's opener with 10 minutes remaining.

However, a 95th-minute penalty from James Milner kept the perfect start going and, with Manchester City losing to Wolverhampton Wanderers the very next day, saw the Liverpool fans really begin to believe that this could be their year as they moved eight points clear after eight games.

The win over the Foxes was Liverpool's 17th in a row in the league, and they had the chance to equal the all-time record away to bitter rivals Manchester United.

It was at Old Trafford that Jurgen Klopp's men dropped their first points of the campaign, although Adam Lallana's late equaliser kept their unbeaten run going.

Tottenham Hotspur visited Anfield one week later and took the lead inside the first minute through Harry Kane, but Liverpool again fought back, with goals from Jordan Henderson and Salah getting them back to winning ways immediately.



NOVEMBER

Mohamed Salah scores Liverpool's second on November 10, 2019© Reuters

By this stage Liverpool's ability to pick up wins when not at their best had already been shown, but perhaps their best - and one of the most important - example came against Aston Villa in early November.

Villa led 1-0 heading into the 87th minute at Villa Park, but an equaliser from Andrew Robertson was then followed by a 94th-minute Mane winner as Liverpool produced a thrilling late turnaround.

Defeat in that game would have given Manchester City the chance to move level on points with Liverpool when they visited Anfield the following week, but instead Klopp's side opened up a nine-point lead over the champions by beating Pep Guardiola's side.

A Fabinho stunner and Salah's stooping header saw Liverpool race into a 2-0 lead after only 13 minutes, and Mane made sure of the points early in the second half as the Reds saw out a 3-1 triumph.

The Reds were back to their increasingly-familiar late drama in the next game, though, with Firmino's 85th-minute winner earning them another victory against Crystal Palace after the Eagles had equalised just three minutes earlier.

Klopp's side then made it three 2-1 wins out of four league games in November by beating Brighton & Hove Albion courtesy of a Virgil van Dijk brace.



DECEMBER

Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrates scoring their fourth goal on December 26, 2019© Reuters

By December Liverpool already looked well on course for Premier League glory, but navigating the hectic festive schedule was perhaps the last major test of their title credentials.

They could have hardly got off to a better start, hitting five past Everton in the Merseyside derby when Divock Origi once again proved himself the scourge of the Toffees with a brace.

After so many close results up to that stage, Liverpool then recorded a second successive three-goal win by cruising past Bournemouth at Dean Court courtesy of goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Salah.

A 2-0 triumph at Watford followed, although their meeting with the then-bottom-of-the-table Hornets was nowhere near as straightforward as the final result suggested as new boss Nigel Pearson brought about an immediate improvement.

Liverpool saved arguably their best performance of the entire season for Boxing Day, though, hammering closest challengers Leicester 4-0 at the King Power Stadium courtesy of an Alexander-Arnold-inspired masterclass.

That result seemingly dispelled any lingering question marks over their status as not only champions-in-waiting but also one of the division's best-ever teams, although they needed a major helping hand from VAR when closing out the year with victory over Wolves.



JANUARY

Virgil van Dijk scores for Liverpool against Manchester United in the Premier League on January 19, 2020.© Reuters

After a golden 2019, 2020 began with another significant landmark as victory over Sheffield United on January 2 sealed a full year unbeaten for Klopp's side.

More history followed in the very next game as a 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur saw Liverpool move out on their own as the team with the best-ever start in the English top flight, chalking up a 20th win from their opening 21 games.

The only blemish on that record had come at Old Trafford, but Liverpool atoned for that next up with a 2-0 triumph over Man United - Van Dijk opening the scoring and Salah wrapping things up in the 93rd minute from an Alisson assist.

Alisson was needed in his more familiar role as shot-stopper as Wolves caused the Reds problems again in their next game, with another late winner from Firmino firing the Merseysiders 16 points clear.

Another record then fell as Liverpool ended the month with a 2-0 win over West Ham United - a result which meant that Klopp's side had beaten every other club in the league from their opening 24 games, seven matches earlier than the previous best.



FEBRUARY

Liverpool's Sadio Mane celebrates scoring their third goal with Trent Alexander-Arnold on February 24, 2020© Reuters

February began with Liverpool equalling their biggest win of the season so far against Southampton, with Salah the star of the show courtesy of his brace.

Mane was the hero a couple of weeks later when Liverpool had to wait until the 78th minute to break down relegation-threatened Norwich, while Liverpool rode their luck again with a come-from-behind 3-2 triumph over West Ham - a record-equalling 18th successive Premier League victory.

Klopp's side only needed to beat a Watford side struggling at the bottom of the table in order to make it an unprecedented 19th successive top-flight win, but the warning signs had been there for a number of weeks and their hopes of an Invincible campaign were shattered by the Hornets.

Ismaila Sarr starred in a 3-0 win for Watford at Vicarage Road as Liverpool's long winning and unbeaten runs came to an end in what was statistically one of the biggest upsets in Premier League history.



MARCH

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in action in March 2020© Reuters

Liverpool were not entirely convincing in bouncing back from that defeat with a 2-1 triumph over Bournemouth at Anfield, and that proved to be their only league game of the month with play suspended the following week due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The break came just when the Reds were suffering their first wobble of any note all season, although lockdown threatened what had previously looked to be an inevitable title success.

There was no action in April or May, when Liverpool would have otherwise wrapped up the title, but the champions-elect returned in June with a 25-point lead and only six points needed to complete the job.



JUNE

Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrates opening the scoring for Liverpool on June 24, 2020© Reuters

After three-and-a-half months out of action, Liverpool's first game back was a Merseyside derby against Everton, when they were somewhat fortunate to avoid defeat in a goalless draw.

That result nonetheless prolonged Liverpool's wait for the trophy, although they moved to within two points of the title with a commanding 4-0 drubbing of Crystal Palace in their first match at Anfield behind closed doors.

Four goals of incredible quality - from Alexander-Arnold, Salah, Fabinho and Mane - put the onus on Manchester City the following night, and their defeat at Chelsea saw Klopp's side secure the title with seven games to spare - the earliest ever success.

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Liverpool's James Milner celebrates scoring their second goal with Jordan Henderson and Divock Origi on October 5, 2019
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


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