need just a point against Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday to win the title - and Mark Lawrenson knows all about that.

Lawrenson was part of Bob Paisley’s 1982 team, which beat Spurs at Anfield in the penultimate game of the season to claim the Reds’ 13th title. He headed home the equaliser past Ray Clemence, on his first return to Anfield, before laying on the second for Kenny Dalglish before Ronnie Whelan bagged the third in the 3-1 win.

Lawrenson had become ’s record signing - and Britain’s most-expensive defender - the previous summer following his £900,000 move from and says that day was key in the team’s development. “It was important because I think they were six of us, who hadn’t won a league,” he told Sport.

“Myself, Rushie [Ian Rush], Sammy [Lee], Brucie [Grobbelaar], Ronnie, Craig [Johnston]. Bob made the decision to ring the changes, to bring in younger blood with us. But you still had 17 or 18 internationals, all trying to get into the team, and that remained the driving force.”

Lawrenson played in midfield against and says ’s engine room of Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis MacAllister has been fundamental to their record-equalling 20th title success. “I think they’re the best three trio in the league,” he said. “I don’t think there’re any better and they hardly get injured.

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“If you remember, when we started the season, everyone was going ‘Gravenberch, he didn’t do very well last season’ and ‘where does he play?’. The three of them have worked it out between themselves and that engine room for me has just been the best.

“Then, you chuck Mo [Salah’s] goals into that, Virgil’s [van Dijk] defending, Alisson and that’s why they’re going to win the league.” Lawrenson also praised Slot for having the intelligence not to rip up ’s squad, even though they tailed off in last season’s title race to finish third.

“The thing with the manager is he’s gone in there and he’s looked at what he’s got and thought ‘do you know what? We’ve got a real chance here, I don’t have to make too many changes’. He hasn’t signed anyone apart from [Federico] Chiesa and he’s just done little things. It’s Klopp’s team, isn’t it?

“He’s got a nice way about him, the players obviously like him, you can just tell. He’s basically everyone’s pal, generally he’s an intelligent fella who’s looked at it and thought I can work with these players.”

Liverpool have cruised to the title, having been top since October, in contrast to the 1981-82 campaign when they languishing in 12th after losing at home to on Day. Paisley responded by stripping Phil Thompson of the captaincy and handing it to Graeme Souness and Liverpool won 20 of their next 24 league games to win the title against Spurs.

“After that defeat to Man City, that was the only time I heard Joe Fagan go absolutely mad at us,” said Lawrenson. “Joe tore into us, saying he was sick and tired of all this, we should be doing it this way.

“That was the kick up the backside we needed and we went on an amazing run. At half-time against Spurs, we were 1-0 down to an absolute worldie from Glenn Hoddle, but Bob was calm, saying Spurs will run out of steam.

“I scored with a looping header past Clem and I didn’t see it go in. I then played a ball over my head for Kenny to run on to and score before Ronnie smashed in another one near the end, and that was it!”

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