The wait goes on: Elusive league title evades Liverpool

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — For about 20 minutes on an afternoon of extraordinary highs, lows, twists and turns at Anfield, Liverpool thought the wait could finally be ending.

Liverpool was leading Wolverhampton Wanderers; Manchester City was drawing, briefly losing, and then only drawing again at Brighton.

The Reds were top of the “as it stands” Premier League table, now used widely in this age of instant information, and there was joy unconfined through this iconic stadium.

Fans were punching the air and swirling their scarves. The “Allez, Allez, Allez” chant was being sung with gusto.

The English league title was — for that brief period— heading back to Liverpool after 29 years.

An hour later, after the final whistle blew on the game and on their team’s title hopes, Liverpool fans were still singing but in defiance rather than celebration.

Liverpool had won 2-0 and finished a league campaign with 97 points — a total, up until this season, that was more than any other team had managed apart from last year’s record-breaking Manchester City team.

It wasn’t enough.

City was champion again, by a point.

“We shall not be moved,” roared Liverpool fans in The Kop. And they’ll be there again next season, their wait for the biggest prize title in English soccer starting its fourth decade.