Sir Alex Ferguson comment used against him after Liverpool title win saw him ridiculed

Arsenal pushed hardest throughout the season, but in terms of enduring football rivalry, Manchester United remain the Merseyside club's historic benchmark. With the 2024/25 title now secured, Liverpool have equalled United's tally of 20 top-flight championships - reigniting one of the game's greatest narratives.

This isn't just another title win for Liverpool - it's a symbolically charged achievement, echoing memorable 1993 vow to "knock Liverpool off their f***ing perch". That line has lived on in football's cultural memory, and this season's success serves as Liverpool's riposte. The rivalry between the two clubs has defined much of the Premier League era, and former Liverpool star Phil Thompson couldn't help but take a swipe at the old enemy when the club ended their title drought in 2020.

Reflecting with Sky Sports at the time, he said: "We are back on our perch. It's been a long time coming. I didn't use the expletives that came before it, but we are back!"

That title ended a 30-year wait. Liverpool had watched as Ferguson's sides built a legacy of sustained success. Thompson described that period as "a burden on everyone," and emphasised that domestic dominance had always mattered most.

"It's been a generation, 30 years. Yes we've had the Champions League, but for Liverpool it has always been about the championship. And we have not been able to get our hands on it. And it's been a burden to everybody.

"All our managers have had to carry it. And I think now, to Jurgen Klopp, the players, my utter congratulations because it has been hard. It has been the holy grail and we've done it tonight."

This season's achievement also sets up a fascinating new chapter. One more title would see Liverpool move ahead of United and claim outright status as the most decorated club in England's top division.

Thompson, speaking in 2020, had sensed the club was entering a new era. The prediction has aged well. Since then, Liverpool have reasserted themselves, while United have struggled to match past heights.

Arne Slot has now joined a select group by winning the Premier League in his debut season - just the fifth manager to do so. Should Liverpool maintain their momentum, the possibility of back-to-back championships - and moving beyond United's long-standing benchmark - is very real.