Premier League Match Week 34 Results: Liverpool Is Champion

Liverpool is champion of the Premier League after Sunday’s 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs clinched the Reds’ 20th top tier championship, joining Manchester United as the winningest clubs at the top level of English football. The champions teased their visitors by conceding the first goal at Anfield but then tallied five consecutive times, three before halftime, to clinch their title with a flourish and heap further embarrassment on Spurs’ Manager Ange Postecoglou and his underperforming side. Mo Salah scored his 28th goal of the season in the 63rd minute of the rout to give Liverpool a 4-1 advantage and took time as part of his celebration to take a selfie. Spurs then gifted an own goal for the final score and gave Liverpool fans the opportunity to be present for a league clinching match at home after being denied that opportunity in 2020 due to COVID restrictions.

Manager Arne Slot must be applauded for a fantastically successful managerial transition which no one could have envisioned after the much-loved Jurgen Klopp stepped down after last season. The classy Dutch manager went so far as to shout out appreciation to Klopp on Sunday as he was being showered with champagne. Dominant Liverpool has won 25 times and lost but twice through 34 matches and has held the top position in the table since October.

Things have gone a bit differently for Tottenham Hotspur as Spurs lost for the 19th time this season and sit just two places from the drop line. Postecoglou and his squad have recently put all their focus on the Europa League and no longer seem interested in league play.

Chelsea, meanwhile, demonstrated that they still care as the Blues moved back into the top five with a 1-0 win over Everton. Nicolas Jackson scored his first goal since December in the 27th minute for Chelsea to take over the final Champions League place on goal differential from Nottingham Forest, a situation which could change before Chelsea next takes to the pitch.

The Tricky Trees play their game in hand on Thursday versus Brentford. Forest was busy this weekend losing its FA Cup semifinal to Manchester City by a 2-0 margin. Manchester City advances to a third straight FA Cup final after holding the Trees to a single shot on target.

Waiting for Manchester City at Wembley on May 17th will be Crystal Palace which defeated Aston Villa 3-0, just days after drawing with Arsenal in league play. The Eagles will be competing for the first major piece of silverware in their club’s history. Villa’s focus now turns fully to their quest for a Champions League berth for next season. Manager Unai Emery’s side are one of the five clubs fighting for the three Champions League slots after Liverpool and Arsenal. Manchester City defeated Aston Villa in a key league match on Tuesday to move up to fourth in the table.

Newcastle is third in the table after spanking Ipswich Town 3-0 on Saturday to seal the Tractor Boys’ relegation. The other two relegated sides, Leicester and Southampton, also lost as has usually been the case. Wolverhampton, itself a relegation candidate earlier this season, won a sixth consecutive match in a 3-0 pasting of the Foxes as Leicester failed to score for the 16th time this season. Fulham were 2-1 winners over the Saints, a crucial outcome for the Cottagers who are in a three-way battle with Brighton and Bournemouth for what is likely to be the final European invitation for the Premier League.

Brighton ended a five-match winless run  by defeating West Ham 3-2 on a stoppage time goal by the Seagulls’ Carlos Baleba after Kaoru Mitoma had tied the match for Brighton in  the 89th minute. This latest collapse extends West Ham’s hunt for a win to two months. Bournemouth is a point back of deadlocked Fulham and Brighton after the Cherries were held to a 1-1 draw at home versus Manchester United. Rasmus Hojlund scored in the 96th minute to endanger the Cherries’ chances for Europe. Bournemouth must now face Arsenal, Aston Villa and Manchester City before the Cherries get Leicester in their final match.