Alexander-Arnold winner brings Slot closer to glory

A few minutes after Liverpool took potentially their penultimate if not final step towards the title, Virgil van Dijk gave the match-winner a gentle nudge, a little lumbar support.

- Ben Fisher

For a moment Van Dijk's duty as captain extended to ushering Trent Alexander-Arnold towards the fans who are resigned to him departing for Real Madrid this summer, but only after the club win a 20th league title.

Alexander-Arnold applauded and then clenched both fists overhead, a nod to the incoming crown.

The party atmosphere was not lost on Alexander-Arnold, Arne Slot or, indeed, anyone of a Liverpool persuasion. "The scouser in our team," sang the travelling support on loop. Then there were the giant red "2" and "0" balloons, floating between jubilant fans, and the Courteeners-themed flag that simply read: "It's Not Nineteen Forever."

It was the 76th minute when Alexander-Arnold whipped off his No 66 shirt and hurtled towards the pocket of giddy Liverpool fans and spread his arms as wide as humanly possible, his teeth sparkling, as if to say: "Well, isn't this what you came for?" In many ways, yes, his vicious left-foot strike earning an inevitable victory against a team that lost hope a long, long time ago. "And now you're going to believe us, we're gonna win the league," the 3,292 travelling supporters cheered long after the rest of this stadium emptied.