"We're going to win the league," echoed around the Etihad Stadium, where empty sky-blue seats told the story of a fanbase that had seen enough. With this win, Liverpool surged 11 points clear at the top of the table—an advantage that now seems insurmountable.
Arne Slot's seamless transition from Jurgen Klopp is set to be rewarded with the prize that Liverpool's legendary managers—Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, and Joe Fagan—coveted above all else. The league title, their "bread and butter," is within reach.
Liverpool's 2-0 victory, coupled with Arsenal's defeat to West Ham, effectively seals the fate of this season's title race. The statistics tell a clear story: with only 11 games remaining, including seven at Anfield, it's hard to see a path for Arsenal to mount a comeback. Even if they win every remaining match, Liverpool have room for slip-ups—not that Slot's side is showing any signs of faltering.
The Dutchman, however, remains cautious.
"In any other league, having this kind of lead would be comfortable, but not in the Premier League," Slot said. "There's a challenge in every game. The fans can sing what they want, but we know the work ahead of us."
While history has seen teams squander big leads, Liverpool's dominance this season makes such a collapse unlikely. The only defeat they have suffered in the league was against Nottingham Forest in September. Comparisons to Arsenal's 1997-98 comeback over Manchester United are inevitable, but that United team had already lost five matches by this stage—Liverpool are far more resilient.
Even Pep Guardiola, though unwilling to declare the title race over, acknowledged the inevitable. "How many points are they ahead of Arsenal? How many games have they lost?" he asked. The answers said it all.
Guardiola warmly congratulated Slot at the final whistle and shook hands with every Liverpool player. A manager who knows what a title-winning team looks like had just witnessed one firsthand.
Former England goalkeeper and pundit Joe Hart summed it up succinctly:
"There's no way back for Arsenal. Even if they win every game, I don't think it will be enough."
Liverpool's superiority is evident across all key metrics. They lead the league in goals (64), shots (452), and shots on target (173). They aren't just topping the table—they're dominating every aspect of the game.
Mohamed Salah, as always, remains at the heart of Liverpool's brilliance. His 30th goal of the season opened the scoring, before he assisted Dominik Szoboszlai for the second, effectively sealing the win before halftime. With 21 assists as well, Salah has contributed to 51 goals before the end of February—an extraordinary tally.
This victory at the Etihad will taste even sweeter for Liverpool fans, given City's history of edging them out in tight title races. Twice, a Guardiola-led City denied them on the final day. Liverpool had only won once in their previous 15 league visits to City before this. This time, it was their turn to celebrate.
From here, the title run-in could turn into a Liverpool procession. The red ribbons might as well be tied to the trophy already.
Slot has taken Klopp's blueprint and refined it. While Liverpool may not replicate the heavy-metal football of the Klopp era, they have added a ruthless efficiency that makes them the full package.
At the Etihad, they had just 33.9% possession—their lowest in a Premier League win since Opta began tracking such stats in 2003-04. They had fewer shots (8 to City's 16) and fewer touches in the opposition box (27 to City's 40), yet they never looked threatened.
"They had a contingency plan for everything City threw at them," said Hart. "They executed it perfectly and controlled the game across every area of the pitch."
Guardiola's City may have seen more of the ball, but Liverpool's defense ensured Alisson had little work to do. The second half was a mere formality as City's attack floundered while Liverpool remained a constant counter-attacking threat.
The result? A defining win, a commanding lead, and an imminent return to the throne of English football. Liverpool's title parade may not be official yet—but the open-top bus is warming up.
