After a barren spell of more than one decade, 2008/09 has seen a flood of Premier League trophies returning to Anfield. Yossi Benayoun's injury-time strike at Craven Cottage gave Liverpool their third Premier League title of season 2008/09.
"It's been a long wait," said Liverpool skipper Stephen Gerrard. "But winning this title, like the one we won at Old Trafford a fortnight ago, and the one we won after beating Real Madrid, even though that wasn't a league game, feels special, la."
The Premier League title, awarded at various points in the season by the nation's assorted football media, last resided at Anfield after Liverpool defeated Newcastle 4-3 in April 1996. Determined to end that spell, Rafa Benitez's charges rallied after a winter slump. Their shocking 5-0 destruction of Real Madrid, while not a league game, brought the first Premier League trophy of the season to Anfield, based on a little-known bylaw that recognizes triumphs over teams that "Used to be known as good." Liverpool followed shortly thereafter with a spectacular 4-1 destruction of Manchester United that left their northwestern rivals alone at the top of the league table.
Liverpool left it late to claim their latest title, Benayoun firing home from an angle well into stoppage time to see off a game Fulham side.
"We hope to build on this," said Gerrard. "We feel we can only improve."
Liverpool lie second in the league table behind Manchester United, who claimed their 4th league title of the season with a late winner at home to Villa on Sunday.
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