Salah has final say on day of 'special' Liverpool celebrations

It had to beryllium Mohamed Salah.

With conscionable six minutes near of what has been a memorable title-winning run for Liverpool, nan Egypt guardant deed a record-equalling extremity against Crystal Palace connected Sunday to guarantee nan play finale statement astatine Anfield did not travel a defeat.

The extremity was Salah's 29th successful nan convention and that tally, on pinch his 18 assists, meant he moved level pinch Alan Shearer and Andy Cole for nan astir extremity involvements successful a Premier League season.

It besides meant he secured a 4th Golden Boot, equalling nan grounds held by Arsenal fable Thierry Henry.

"Mo Salah has had an unthinkable season," erstwhile Arsenal and Manchester City guardant Ellen White said connected BBC Radio 5 live.

"Not only is he prolific successful beforehand of extremity but he is imaginative arsenic well.

"He showed awesome professionalism erstwhile location was truthful overmuch talk astir his statement and he conscionable sewage amended and amended arsenic nan play went on.

"It's awesome that we get to spot him successful nan Premier League for different mates of seasons."

Salah's extremity and his important publication to Liverpool's record-equalling 20th convention title triumph - that moves them associated level pinch Manchester United - was 1 of galore things being celebrated connected a time that will unrecorded agelong successful nan representation of nan club's fans.

The Reds, of course, won nan Premier League successful 2020 but that was during nan Covid-19 pandemic, pinch nan title secured successful quiet stadiums because group were banned from gathering successful ample numbers.

That meant this was nan first clip Liverpool's players and supporters were capable to observe lifting nan trophy together since 1990, and boy did they savour it.

The statement ambiance started agelong earlier kick-off connected a sunny time successful Liverpool, pinch nan streets astir Anfield a oversea of reddish arsenic supporters gathered successful immense numbers, sloppy of whether they had a summons for nan lucifer aliases not.

With Crystal Palace having won nan FA Cup past week, their fans had besides get successful statement tone and location was a prestigious infinitesimal earlier kick-off when, aft receiving a defender of honour by nan Palace players, nan location squad formed 1 of their ain to people nan Eagles' trophy success.

A big of Liverpool legends were successful attendance including erstwhile Reds leader Jurgen Klopp, while their erstwhile skipper Alan Hansen returned to Anfield aft recovering from a superior wellness rumor to coming nan trophy astatine full-time.

Even erstwhile Ismaila Sarr put Palace ahead, nan Kop did not skip a hit arsenic they worked their measurement done a catalogue of Liverpool songs.

But Salah's extremity and nan full-time whistle resulted successful nan loudest cheer possibly ever heard for a 1-1 tie arsenic Liverpool ensured location was to beryllium nary end-of-season blemish connected nan campaign.

"These players and these fans dislike losing and that is what they showed today," said Reds leader Arne Slot.

"It Is 35 years since nan fans could beryllium portion of it. Everyone could spot what it meant to them and that is what makes it special.

"You play shot for yourself and your family but besides for nan fans and these ones are special."

No-one was successful immoderate temper for negativity, truthful it was a bully touch that Trent Alexander-Arnold was shouted onto nan transportation arsenic a half-time substitute to play his last 45 minutes successful a Liverpool shirt.

Having been booed by immoderate Reds' fans astatine Anfield successful nan crippled aft announcing he would extremity his two-decade agelong relation pinch nan nine astatine nan extremity of nan season, nan consequence this clip was only affirmative arsenic his first touch of nan shot was greeted by immense applause.

There were much large cheers erstwhile he was presented pinch nan trophy and nan full-back struggled to clasp backmost nan tears arsenic he hugged his team-mates for a last clip connected nan Anfield pitch.

"I didn't cognize what to expect stepping retired astatine Anfield aft what had happened a fewer weeks ago," Alexander-Arnold told Sky Sports.

"I wanted to play for nan nine 1 much clip and he (Arne Slot) trusted maine to play. To get nan reception I sewage intends much than anything.

"I've played hundreds of games for nan nine but I've ne'er felt truthful loved and cared for than today.

"There wasn't a day, minute, 2nd that I didn't deliberation astir nan team. Twenty years is simply a very agelong clip time but I've loved each azygous infinitesimal of it. The ups and nan downs.

"It's been an honour and privilege to beryllium portion of.

"I'll retrieve this day. It's very typical for me. It goes down arsenic nan champion time of my life."

It was fitting that Alexander-Arnold's last Liverpool capacity was up location pinch immoderate of his best. He displayed his unthinkable scope of passing to thief move nan tide of nan lucifer successful nan location side's favour.

"It was nary astonishment they [the fans] were superb today, and besides towards Trent," added Slot.

"It besides helped what an unbelievable half he played. He deserved it, I'm very happy for him successful and astir nan club.

"Everyone could spot really difficult he had it aft nan crippled and that shows really difficult it is to time off nan club. That is each we tin do, make it difficult for players to time off nan nine but it was awesome for him to person nan farewell."

Last summer, Liverpool possibly raised a fewer eyebrows by not being peculiarly progressive successful nan transportation market, pinch striker Federico Chiesa their main arrival.

But pinch Alexander-Arnold departing they are apt to beryllium busier this summertime to guarantee they enactment up of their rivals.

Work connected that is already nether measurement pinch tjhe Reds moving for Bayer Leverkusen duo Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz. Frimpong tin play anyplace down nan right-hand side, while Wirtz is an attacking midfielder.

"We want caller players and ideally you motion them arsenic early arsenic you can," added Slot.

"This nine doesn't commencement activity from today, location has been already truthful overmuch difficult activity done down nan scenes."

But sloppy of who whitethorn get successful nan summer, Slot hopes that Sunday's scenes of celebrations will thrust those already astatine nan nine connected to execute much success.

"Hopefully nan appetite will beryllium big," he said. "That is what we person to spot successful nan upcoming weeks. A fewer person already shown they tin triumph aggregate times. They conscionable support connected performing twelvemonth aft year.

"We cognize it will beryllium reliable again, it was already reliable this play and it will beryllium conscionable arsenic reliable aliases tougher adjacent season."