Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen poses with Virgil van Dijk during Liverpool's trophy celebrations
It was a celebration that started with the first sweet silver song of the lark - and will continue for days to come. What wasn’t part of the script was a Liverpool performance that appeared to confirm that Arne Slot’s Premier League champions have been nursing the mother of all hangovers since the title was secured a month ago.
Mohamed Salah made sure the Reds didn’t sign off with a third defeat in four games with an 84th-minute equaliser. The newly-crowned Footballer of the Year scissor-kicked a close-range volley past Palace keeper Dean Henderson from close range with the aid of a deflection off Maxence Lacroix to cancel out Ismaila Sarr’s cool first-half strike.
It was the Egyptian’s 34th goal in all competitions - and his Premier League tally of 29 secured another Golden Boot. Club legend Ian Rush came down from the posh seats at the final whistle to give Salah the prize - and another trophy for leading the division with 18 assists.
Liverpool were down to 10 men for the final 22 minutes after Ryan Gravenberch had seen red for a foul on Daichi Kamada that prevented the midfielder from bursting through on goal.
Not that anything was ever going to poop this party. Liverpool fans have been waiting 35 years to celebrate a title win in the style of which they were once so accustomed after the pandemic kept them indoors in 2020.
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Not since Alan Hansen lifted the Football League first division trophy in 1990 had a Liverpool captain done the honours in front of a Kop packed to the rafters.
It was fitting that Hansen, the most elegant of central defenders in his day, accepted an invitation to hand the silverware over to that modern-day colossus Virgil van Dijk. Liverpool’s fans are going to squeeze every second of joy out of this triumph.
Anfield and beyond was brimming with pomp and ceremony for the champions. Most of the houses on the roads and streets leading to the stadium were decked out in banners and bunting.
There was one classy touch before kick-off when Palace’s players lined up to give the home team a guard of honour before Liverpool returned the compliment for the FA Cup winners.
Another followed at the start of the second half when Real Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold was given a warm ovation by the home fans when he came on to replace Conor Bradley.
Mo Salah and Ian Rush
Mo Salah celebrates with Ian Rush ( Image: Getty Images)
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By then Liverpool were on a rescue mission. Tyrick Mitchell’s ninth-minute pass sent Sarr racing through a gap between Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate that resembled the Mersey Tunnel and the Senegalese winger briefly silenced the Kop by finding the bottom corner.
Oliver Glasner’s men were good value for their lead, although keeper Dean Henderson continued where he left off at Wembley last week by producing an inspired save with his backside to thwart Luis Diaz.
When Gravenberch was sent off just six minutes after Slot had asked him to drop back into defence so that he could bring on Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez it appeared the Eagles were about to take another prized scalp back to their South London nest.
Then Nunez’s cross was nodded down at the far post by Cody Gakpo and Salah did what he does best in front of the Kop.
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