“Absolutely special” was how manager Jurgen Klopp described getting his hands on the coveted piece of silverware, 30 years since Liverpool was last crowned English champion.
“We don’t compare as we haven’t won it before … these boys are so special. I couldn’t be more proud of them throwing in a performance like this on the pitch in an open game, obviously, but nice, nice goals,” he told reporters.
“Incredible goals, super football in moments and I loved the game so we could enjoy so far and will enjoy the rest of the night.”
In Wednesday’s lively encounter, Liverpool raced into a 3-0 lead with goals from Naby Keita, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Georginio Wijnaldum before Olivier Giroud pulled one back for Chelsea on the stroke of half-time.
Roberto Firmino extended the host’s lead, but scores from Tammy Abraham and Christian Pulisic kept Chelsea in the contest, only for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to seal the win and kick-start Liverpool’s title celebrations.
Keita and Alexander-Arnold scored the pick of Wednesday’s goal, the former with a 25-yard strike to open the scoring before Alexander-Arnold doubled Liverpool’s lead with long-range free-kick that had goalkeeper Kepa rooted to the spot.
Club captain Jordan Henderson lifted the trophy on a specially built podium on Anfield’s Kop after the match as ticker tape fell on the players and fireworks lit up the night sky. Indeed, fireworks were set off outside the stadium even as the match was being played.
“Of course, you’re going to have individuals that perform but the most important thing is the team,” Henderson told Sky Sports.
“We’re always there together for each other, it’s a really close group, as you can see, and that’s off the field and on the field.
“It makes a massive difference and it’s another thing the gaffer has brought since he’s come in — that togetherness in the dressing room. It has made a really big difference on the pitch.”
As the players celebrated on the pitch and in the locker room, Klopp admitted it was odd without fans in the stadium.
“It’s strange, you stand on a stage and there is nobody — not nobody, but not as many as you would imagine in a situation like that,” he said.
“But I have to say, the people who organized it made the best of it … I was never on the Kop before, it was pretty special and I think it makes sense in the moment when the people are not in that we use the Kop to celebrate it with them together in our hearts.”
Fans congregated outside Anfield during the trophy presentation, lighting flairs and scaling the stadium walls despite warnings from the club and officials to stay at home given the coronavirus outbreak.
“To the vast majority of law-abiding members of the community and Liverpool fans, I just want to remind them that this order is not about bothering people going about their legitimate daily business,” said superintendent Dave Charnock.
“We would like to thank the vast majority of you who are adhering to the restrictions currently in place to protect the wider community as well as those who are continuing to keep an eye out for suspicious behavior and reporting it to us.
“It has never been more important than now to ensure that we all follow government advice to ensure the safety of those living in Merseyside.”