How fitting that a knee injury did not prevent Jordan Henderson performing his now customary shuffle before lifting the Premier League trophy at an empty yet joyful Anfield. In a season like no other, nothing has stood in the way of Jürgen Klopp’s remarkable force and the piece of silverware Liverpool have craved for over 30 years. The wait finally ended last month. The party really got going during, and especially after, another piece of history was made against Chelsea. Before climbing the steps to a specially constructed podium on the Kop to receive the title from Sir Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool’s players served up one more rousing and hugely entertaining display to end the league season unbeaten at Anfield. They have now gone three successive league campaigns without defeat on home soil. No other team in Liverpool’s illustrious history achieved that feat. A 59th unbeaten home game arrived courtesy of outstanding goals from Naby Keïta, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Roberto Firmino and the substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – plus a more prosaic effort from Georginio Wijnaldum – and with a reminder to Chelsea of how far they have to go to be considered challengers at this level. Frank Lampard’s side could have secured Champions League qualification with a point at Anfield but, despite a late recovery inspired by the substitute Christian Pulisic, defeat means their hopes of a top-four finish will be decided on the final day. Chelsea were the more dangerous team until Keïta opened the scoring with a stunning effort, but it was to Liverpool’s immense credit that the post-match party never distracted from their duties on the pitch. And there was plenty to distract them. The fireworks started over an hour before kick off in nearby Stanley Park and intensified over Anfield throughout the game. A group of approximately 100 Liverpool fans ignored pleas to keep away and gathered on Anfield Road to greet the team bus. A security cordon kept them at a distance from the stadium but Merseyside police had to issue a dispersal order as crowd numbers increased during the night. Lampard’s team were in the ascendancy when the contest turned in the blink of Liverpool’s relentless pressing and Keïta’s unstoppable finish. The Guinea international, having dispossessed Willian with help from Wijnaldum, seized on the loose ball and had only one intention as he bore down on Kepa Arrizabalaga’s goal. His thunderous shot beat the Chelsea goalkeeper convincingly from 25 yards, kissing the underside of the crossbar on its way as the Liverpool bench exploded with joy. Alexander-Arnold doubled the champions’ advantage with another memorable free-kick reminiscent of his recent goal against Crystal Palace. Mateo Kovacic was eventually, and correctly, adjudged to have fouled Sadio Mané by the referee Andre Marriner, prompting a furious exchange between Lampard and the Liverpool assistant manager, Pepijn Lijnders. Chelsea’s manager was unhappy at Lijnders leaping from the bench after the foul. He sat back down, only to spring back up again as Alexander-Arnold swept the set piece past a rooted Arrizabalaga from almost 30 yards. The keeper’s movement, and lack of homework on the Liverpool full-back, were poor. Number three arrived when Andy Robertson’s corner caused havoc inside the Chelsea penalty area. Olivier Giroud’s headed clearance struck Jorginho’s arm and, while Mohamed Salah appealed for a penalty, Wijnaldum volleyed the loose ball into the roof of the Chelsea net. It was the 11th goal that Lampard’s team had conceded in their last four away matches. Liverpool were a class apart from the moment Keïta struck but Giroud gave Chelsea a glimmer of hope when he prodded home in first-half stoppage time, converting after Alisson had saved superbly from Willian. The glimmer was quickly extinguished. A strange quirk of Liverpool’s campaign was Firmino’s failure to score a single league goal at Anfield despite being fundamental to their success. That minor blemish was erased in fine style when Alexander-Arnold produced a perfect cross and the Brazilian, powering in ahead of Kurt Zouma and César Azpilicueta, headed past Arrizabalaga. Chelsea could have been routed before a triple substitution by Lampard sparked improvement. Salah missed two excellent chances to become the first Liverpool player since Roger Hunt in 1965-66 to score 20 goals in three successive seasons. The visitors reduced the arrears again when Pulisic weaved his way past three Liverpool defenders and centred for his fellow substitute Tammy Abraham to tap home. Abraham returned the favour with a cross that Pulisic took on his chest before beating Alisson, but Oxlade-Chamberlain sealed the win in style when Liverpool broke superbly from a Chelsea free-kick.