It was only three matches into Arne Slot’s reign that Paul Scholes believed he may have been watching potential Premier League champions in Liverpool this season.
The Reds clinched the title on Sunday with four matches to spare after thrashing Tottenham Hotspur 5-1, and with a 15-point lead over second-placed Arsenal, it’s not implausible that they could yet record the biggest winning margin in the division’s history (currently 19 points, set by Manchester City in 2017/18).
While another Old Trafford alumnus in Gary Neville tipped Arne Slot’s side to struggle at the outset of he campaign, the pundit’s former teammate had a rather different view on the Merseysiders after they romped to a 3-0 win away to Manchester United at the start of September.
Scholes knew from an early stage that Liverpool were the real deal
In his latest column for TNT Sports, Scholes praised Liverpool for their ‘amazing achievement’ of winning the Premier League in the Dutchman’s first season in charge, and he felt from an early stage that the Reds were onto something special.
The 50-year-old wrote: “I actually thought Liverpool would have a chance of winning the league when I saw them playing at Old Trafford back in September. I know that Manchester United aren’t in the best shape, but I was really impressed by what I saw from Liverpool.
“There are goals all over the team and I thought if Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson stayed fit, they’d stand a great chance. Even though Alisson missed a few games, Van Dijk was still there and winning the league is an amazing achievement.”
Old Trafford romp felt like an early statement from Slot’s Liverpool
Wins at Old Trafford haven’t been a novelty for Liverpool in the 2020s, but having drawn and lost at the venue last season despite dominating both matches, to rock up at their arch-rivals’ backyard and toy with Man United just three matches into Slot’s reign felt like a strong statement of intent.
For all of the Red Devils’ glaring weaknesses, they’ve still proven to be a thorn in our side, so for the Dutchman to go there so early in his Premier League career and obliterate his compatriot Erik ten Hag ensured that he passed his first major test as LFC head coach with flying colours.
That 3-0 victory set the tone for the teams’ respective seasons – while the Merseysiders romped to a record-equalling 20th league title, Scholes’ former club are languishing in 14th place having lost 50% more matches than they’ve won in the top flight this term.
As is always the case with a championship-winning team, certain victories will be pinpointed as major staging posts in their eventual triumph. For Liverpool in 2024/25, the pair of 2-0 wins over Man City felt hugely significant, while the comeback defeat of Brighton and the stoppage time heroics at Brentford will also get plenty of mentions.
Alongside those, the dismantling of United at Old Trafford in Slot’s third game in charge also feels like a day when the seeds for eventual title glory were sown.
