As the successor to fan favorite Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool coach Arne Slot took on a difficult legacy a year ago.

At the moment of his greatest success to date, Liverpool coach Arne Slot danced and thanked Jürgen Klopp. He said that Liverpool FC's 20th English football title was also thanks to his predecessor. "He left me a team that could win the trophy," Slot said on the Anfield pitch, as the fans in the stands and the players on the pitch celebrated wildly.

Finally, the champion coach even loudly sang "Jürgen Klopp – nana nanana" – a thank you for Klopp singing his name a year ago. "I think that's something no coach has ever done before," Slot said, beaming. "It definitely helped me."

Almost exactly a year ago, the Dutchman was announced as Klopp's successor. At the time, many doubted that Slot would be able to fill the large shoes left by the popular and successful German coach after eight and a half years at Anfield. Even though Slot made a good impression on the media and fans from the start, no one could have expected the transition to be so smooth.

With four games remaining in the Premier League season, the Reds clinched the title with a 5-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. This is an impressive achievement given the fierce competition on the English stage. Before the season, many experts predicted that Arsenal could win the title after two runner-up finishes. Some predicted Manchester City could win a fifth consecutive title.

Virtually no one had Liverpool as a title contender, not even Slot himself. "When the season started, we would have been happy with a top-four finish," the always modest 46-year-old said now. "But I think that's not entirely fair to the players, because they're much better—and they've shown that this season."

Compared to the previous season, the squad remained largely unchanged. The only notable new signing was Federico Chiesa, who, however, struggled with injuries and made only four league appearances. The most significant change under Slot: In contrast to Klopp's breathless and sometimes chaotic "heavy metal football," the Dutchman opted for a more controlled, but no less intense, style of play with more possession.

"I don't have to defend as much anymore. His tactics are different," confirmed the outstanding star striker Mohamed Salah, who, with 28 goals, played a major role in winning the league and credits this to an agreement with Slot. "I told him: 'If you take the pressure off me defensively, I'll deliver offensively,' and I'm glad I did. He accepted that, and you can see it in the numbers now."

Until the beginning of the year, it even looked as if Liverpool FC could compete for four titles. But then came the sobering FA Cup exit against second-division Plymouth, the League Cup final defeat against Newcastle United, and finally the bitter Champions League elimination on penalties against Paris Saint-Germain.

After benefiting from Manchester City's unusual weakness this Premier League season and title favorite Arsenal's too many draws, Liverpool will have to improve next season to have a chance of successfully defending their title.

The club will have to be active in the transfer market. The contracts of goal-scoring star Salah and leading man Virgil van Dijk have been extended. However, Liverpool will be without another key player in the future: Trent Alexander-Arnold is reportedly on the verge of a move to Real Madrid. His departure will hurt the Reds.

First of all, after winning their 20th league title, which brings Liverpool level with arch-rivals Manchester United, it's time to celebrate. Slot gave his team Monday off. The real championship celebration will take place on May 25th, after the final home game. That's when Liverpool will be presented with the Premier League trophy. A moment many fans have been waiting for for 35 years.

When Klopp's team won the league for the first time in 30 years in 2020, the stands in the stadium were empty due to the coronavirus pandemic and the long-awaited triumph could not be properly celebrated.

This makes the second league title in five years feel all the more precious to Liverpool FC's supporters and players. "It's incredible to win this with our fans," enthused Salah, who celebrated his goal to make it 4-1 with a selfie in front of the stands. "This is 100 percent better than last time."