Paul Joyce Confirms Liverpool’s Potential Premier League Title Party This Week | OneFootball

Liverpool Close in on Premier League Glory: Squad Plans Title-Watching Party

In what could be one of the most anticlimactic coronations in recent memory, Liverpool may win the Premier League title not on the pitch, but in front of a television screen. Captain Virgil van Dijk confirmed that the squad is planning a group viewing of Arsenal’s crucial clash with Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium.

“I expect Arsenal to win at home,” Van Dijk stated, “but, yeah, if it doesn’t happen then I think…” — a trailing sentence that says more in ellipsis than any emphatic declaration. The anticipation in his voice betrays the calm exterior. This is a club on the brink of history once again.

Echoes of 2020 as History Repeats

It’s hard not to draw parallels with 2020, when Liverpool’s long-awaited title triumph arrived in equally passive fashion — watching Chelsea beat Manchester City from the comfort of Formby Hall Hotel. This time, the venue may differ, but the setup remains the same: a close-knit group of players and staff, unified by the culmination of a season’s effort.

Paul Joyce of The Times captures it perfectly, highlighting the symbolic symmetry. This isn’t just a team that wins titles — it’s one that shares the moment, regardless of where it happens. Whether on a pitch in Leicester or a lounge in Liverpool, it’s the togetherness that tells the story.

The Slot Effect Already Visible

Arne Slot, Klopp’s successor, has yet to be fully embraced by some sections of the media — perhaps a symptom of succeeding a legend. Yet the mood in the camp and the cohesion displayed suggest he’s found instant traction. Sunday’s emphatic away win at Leicester underscored not just Liverpool’s tactical clarity but their emotional momentum.

Photo: IMAGO

Photographs of Van Dijk embracing Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Slot post-match encapsulate the unity. This is not a team in transition — it’s a team that has transitioned, and done so with breathtaking ease.

Palace the Wild Card?

As for Arsenal, their task on Wednesday is theoretically simple. But Paul Joyce rightly notes that Crystal Palace have an FA Cup semi-final looming against Aston Villa — and that could result in a rotated squad. It adds a layer of unpredictability. Would Oliver Glasner dare rest Eberechi Eze or Michael Olise against the league’s most in-form side?

Liverpool, of course, can only control what they do. And they’ve done that exceptionally. A get-together for a potential title decider shows maturity, but also emotional readiness. It’s not hope — it’s preparation. Van Dijk, as ever, is the embodiment of this approach: focused, unflappable, quietly relishing the weight of the moment.

Our View – Anfield Index Analysis

This isn’t just another title. This feels sweeter, almost more profound — because of how Liverpool have responded to the post-Klopp question. Arne Slot has galvanised this squad, and that speaks volumes.

Van Dijk’s leadership has been immense. “I expect Arsenal to win,” he said, but that confidence isn’t arrogance — it’s football realism. Even if Palace somehow defy expectations, Liverpool know they are only ever 90 minutes from the trophy. The pressure is, for once, not theirs.

But imagine it — the entire squad together, the TV flickering, a Palace counterattack, the Emirates silenced. In that moment, the title would be Liverpool’s. No final whistle needed at Anfield or away. Just shared glances, shouts of joy, champagne spraying in a private room.

This isn’t about waiting for someone else to hand you the trophy. It’s about recognising the journey. From the heartbreak of last-minute slips, to missing out with 97 points, to the pandemic-era triumph, and now to this… Liverpool have mastered the long game. And their reward may come not with a roar, but with a collective breath held in front of a screen.

As fans, we’ll be holding our breath too.

Our View – Anfield Index Analysis

This is exactly what we live for. Honestly, if you’d told us last May, with Klopp on his farewell tour and Slot just a whisper, that we’d be sat top the next April — potentially champions without even playing — we wouldn’t have believed you. But now? Now it feels like fate.

The idea of the lads sitting together, watching the Arsenal game, waiting for that final whistle like it’s a Champions League final… there’s something beautifully poetic about it. That unity — it’s what’s made this team so special, even with a new face in the dugout. Slot’s clearly earned their respect, and probably the fans’ too.

Van Dijk’s quote about expecting Arsenal to win is classic big Virgil — measured, grounded, but not ruling anything out. And that’s how we feel. Let Arsenal do their thing. We’ll be ready. We are ready. Whether the title comes from a Palace upset or on our own terms next weekend — this team deserves it. And we’ll celebrate either way.

Roll on Wednesday night.Up the Reds.