An emotional Trent Alexander-Arnold said lifting the Premier League trophy at Anfield was the best day of his life and he “never felt so loved” after the fans' change of heart towards him.
The defender was brought on for the start of the second half of the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace and, unlike his last home appearance when he was booed after announcing his was leaving at the end of his contract, he was warmly welcomed.
By the time the Premier League trophy was presented after the full-time whistle fans had decided that was the time to cheer the academy graduate, who is ending a 20-year association with the club ahead of an expected move to Real Madrid.
Alexander-Arnold waved to the crowd and kissed the badge on his shirt, before being afforded a lot of time with the Premier League trophy on the lap of honour with the Kop roaring their approval when he hoisted it in front of them.
“I didn't know what to expect stepping out at Anfield after what had happened a few weeks ago,” he told Sky Sports.
“I wanted to play for the club one more time and he [Arne Slot] trusted me to play. To get the reception I got means more than anything.
“I've played hundreds of games for the club but I've never felt so loved and cared for than today.
“Hand on my heart I hope one day the fans will be able to recognise the hard work and everything I have done for the team.
“There wasn't a day, minute, second that I didn't think about the team. Twenty years is a very long time time but I've loved every single minute of it. The ups and the downs.
“It's been an honour and privilege to be part of.
“I'll remember this day. It's very special for me. It goes down as the best day of my life.”
Manager Slot said of Alexander-Arnold: "He's leaving such a great club and he knows, he feels that. He has been at this club for 20 years, he knows everyone here teammates, staff members.
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Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk lifts the Premier League trophy after the final game of the season against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Getty Images -
Liverpool manager Arne Slot lifts the Premier League. PA -
Mohamed Salah with the Premier League Golden Boot trophy. Getty Images -
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores against Crystal Palace in their final game of the Premier League season at Anfield. PA -
Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring with teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold. EPA -
Darwin Nunez of Liverpool has a shot saved by Dean Henderson of Crystal Palace. Getty Images -
Crystal Palace's Daichi Kamada challenges Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold. AFP -
Liverpool fans prepare for the end of a victorious campaign. PA -
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp at Anfield. AP
“It is normal that even only being in a club for a few years you're going to miss it, let alone 20 years and let alone Liverpool.
“The fans showed a great reaction towards him, but the quality he showed today again is why it is such a pity he is going to leave.
“It was always the plan to give him some playing time. This was a good moment for him to come on and impact the game … he [Trent] deserved to be on the pitch for all he has done for me, for his teammates, for the fans. He deserved to be on the pitch one last time at Anfield.”
Second-place Arsenal, meanwhile, defeated Southampton 2-1 which saw Kieran Tierney signed off from his six-year stay at the club with a goal.
The result also meant the relegated Saints set a record for Premier League defeats.
No side in the competition had ever lost 30 in a season but Martin Odegaard's drilled finish into the corner in the 89th minute sent them back to the Championship with a final humiliation to go with their meagre 12-point tally, on the day that new boss Will Still was unveiled to home fans.
The outgoing manager of Lens in Ligue 1 watched his new team from the stands and will have been encouraged when Ross Stewart scored his first goal for the club to equalise against the side that a for a third year in a row finished second.
For Mikel Arteta, seated nearby as he served a one-match ban, he was left to reflect on a campaign in which his side fell 17 points short of last season's tally.
It will not have escaped Arteta that the 89 points the Gunners finished with 12 months ago would have been comfortably enough to win this season's title.
In the end, far too many drawn matches and poor discipline – no team in the league received more than Arsenal's six red cards – had cost them.
“We wanted to finish with that positivity, that good atmosphere and vibe,” said Arteta. We had to say goodbye to a few players and I think they deserved that to happen in a nice environment.
“[Co-chairman] Josh [Kroenke] has been very clear in the direction and ambition we have. We're going to try to see what we can do, make very subtle decisions, and respect what has taken us this far.
“There's not much improvement. We've finished second three times, reached the Champions League semi-finals. There's that little percentage we need to nail.”
