No Jurgen Klopp, no marquee summer signings and three out-of-contract stars dominating the headlines. At the start of the season, nobody saw this Liverpool title victory coming. Arne Slot's side need just a point against Tottenham Hotspur on Super Sunday to seal the Premier League in the Dutchman's first season in England's top flight. But not many had Liverpool as prime contenders back in August. Before a ball was even kicked, third-favourites Liverpool had just a 5.1 per cent chance of winning the Premier League, according to the Opta supercomputer. Arsenal were second favourites with 12.2 per cent, while Manchester City were huge favourites at 82.2 per cent. How does the Opta supercomputer work? Opta's league prediction model estimates the likelihood of teams finishing in each position in the competition. We can therefore see how successful a team's season is likely to be, whether it's their relegation or title chances. The model estimates the probability of each match outcome (win, draw or loss) by using betting market odds and the Opta Power Rankings. The odds and rankings are based on historical and recent team performances. The model considers the strength of opponents by using these match-outcome probabilities and simulates the remaining fixtures in the competition thousands of times. By analysing the outcome of each of these simulations, the model can see how often teams finished in each league position to create our final predictions. Even Jamie Carragher had predicted only another third-placed finish for Slot's side. "There are areas of the Liverpool squad which need strengthening but I love the fact they don't panic," he explained. Gary Neville, meanwhile, was far from convinced, predicting they would finish fifth - behind Manchester United - in the table. "Liverpool, my view would be that the impact of [losing] Klopp will take its toll," he said. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville made their predictions for the Premier League season, including who they thought would be crowned champions and which teams would be relegated "The evidence of history, there will be some pain at some point this season and it could cost them. "I really do question whether that Liverpool midfield can stand up over the season. I think Manchester United have got more depth in midfield." So how did Liverpool go from firm outsiders to both hands on the trophy? This is the story of their season. The start of the season - Opta Premier League title predictions Manchester City: 82.2% Arsenal 12.2% Liverpool: 5.1% Comebacks make Liverpool favourites Many point to Rodri's injury in September as the turning point for perennial champions Man City's title credentials. Yet Liverpool had to wait another two months after the Spaniard's ACL injury to be officially named league favourites. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player A look back at the moment that altered the course of the Premier League title race, as Rodri's injury kept him out for the rest of the season The period between the October and November international breaks swung the title race in Liverpool's direction. Slot's Reds picked up four points against Chelsea and Arsenal in the space of a week to keep their two closest rivals at bay. The point at the Emirates - coming from 1-0 and 2-1 down to snatch a 2-2 draw - was the start of three impressive comebacks in the space of a month. They would fall 1-0 down to Fabian Hurzeler's impressive Brighton before a superb second-half burst saw them pick up three points. Then came a topsy-turvy game at Southampton, with the Reds 2-1 down with half an hour to go until Mohamed Salah saved the day with a double. Liverpool officially became title favourites - according to the Opta supercomputer - on the weekend of November 9, when a 2-0 win over Aston Villa came in between Man City's loss at Brighton and Arsenal's draw at Chelsea. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Liverpool officially became Premier League title favourites as they beat Aston Villa at Anfield November 9 - Opta Premier League title predictions: Liverpool: 53.4% Manchester City: 36.2% Arsenal: 4.1% That weekend was also the first time Liverpool became favourites with the bookmakers, who put them at a price of 6/5 as City lost four Premier League matches in a row. Pep Guardiola's side went out to 2/1, with Arsenal further afield at 4/1. At the end of the month, Liverpool beat City 2-0 at Anfield with a performance that was even more convincing than the scoreline suggested. The Reds would never lose that favourites crown. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Gary Neville said Arne Slot's Liverpool were strong favourites for the Premier League title following a comfortable 2-0 victory against Manchester City December 1 - Opta Premier League title predictions: Liverpool: 80.4% Arsenal: 9.8% Man City: 4.4% The blip - but Salah and Saka swing the title race further But that is not to say Liverpool did not have doubters. The two results following the win over City hinted at a potential chink in the armour. Back-to-back December draws against Newcastle and Fulham brought Arsenal closer to the leaders - also highlighting potential areas to improve in this Liverpool team. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Watch all of the best angles of Alexander Isak's superb strike from outside the area against Liverpool in the Premier League Alexander Isak bullied the Liverpool backline in the 3-3 draw at St James' Park, which led to questions over whether the Reds had a No 9 of their own to deliver their objectives. Their defensive holes at full-back were exposed by Fulham's Antonee Robinson running riot at Anfield in a 2-2 draw - another player linked with a Liverpool move. But the Reds' first back-to-back dropped points of the season were quickly swept under the carpet by, guess who, super Salah again. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Mohamed Salah shone as Liverpool beat West Ham 5-0 to end 2024 The Egyptian got four goals and four assists in his final three Premier League matches of 2024 as Tottenham, Leicester and West Ham were swatted away via an aggregate score of 14-4. Liverpool had Europe's in-form player, while Arsenal lost key star Bukayo Saka to a four-month injury in late December. It would end up being a critical moment to wound the season of Liverpool's main title rivals. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta confirmed Bukayo Saka's long-term injury - it would keep him out from December to April January 1 - Opta Premier League title predictions: Liverpool: 91.35% Arsenal: 7.7% Chelsea: 0.9% Super subs overcome another blip Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Diogo Jota came off the bench to rescue a 1-1 draw for Liverpool at Nottingham Forest The New Year actually began with a new blip, as Manchester United snatched a draw at Anfield, before Chris Wood put Nottingham Forest 1-0 up over Slot's side at the City Ground. Then, in the second half, came another theme of Slot's season - super substitutions. A theme in Klopp's final season, Slot built on the German's legacy to change games from the bench. The equaliser at Forest came from Kostas Tsimikas and Diogo Jota, who both came off the bench to produce the goal almost instantly. Arsenal took advantage of the 1-1 draw by closing the gap via a north London derby win over Spurs but it fell away from the Gunners again days later. Darwin Nunez stepped off the bench to score twice in stoppage time at Brentford, before Arsenal threw away two goals to draw at home to Aston Villa. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Darwin Nunez struck twice late on as Liverpool beat Brentford 2-0 - Arsenal dropped points on the same day January 18 - Opta Premier League title predictions: Liverpool: 91.5% Arsenal: 8.2% Manchester City: 0.2% Merseyside mayhem opens up the race Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville felt the title race could be back on after the Merseyside derby drama Liverpool fans are probably over the pain of James Tarkowski's late thunderbolt in the final Goodison Park Merseyside derby by now but it did open up the title race slightly. The Reds' reaction to the late leveller for Everton represented the first time Liverpool lost their cool in the season. Slot's slurs to referee Michael Oliver and his team earned him a two-match ban, while the rattling of the cage gave Arsenal a bit of hope. The shock Merseyside derby result rippled into the next few weeks of Liverpool's season. They scraped past relegation-threatened Wolves, who should have walked away from Anfield with at least a draw, before more dropped points came at Aston Villa. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Darwin Nunez missed a costly sitter from seven yards out against Aston Villa in the 2-2 draw at Villa Park February 19 - Opta Premier League title predictions Liverpool - 84.7% Arsenal - 15.2% City downed and champions-elect crowned But the weekend the title was won, not officially but effectively, came a few days later. Arsenal's defeat at home to West Ham - in the wake of injuries to centre-forwards Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz - gave Liverpool the chance to open an 11-point gap over the Gunners. In their way were the reigning champions at the Etihad Stadium. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Liverpool all but won the title as they clinched a 2-0 victory at Manchester City The former champions were put to the sword by the champions-elect. Another Salah goal and assist in the first half helped underline that Liverpool were what City are no longer. "They haven't won it, obviously, but they have," said Neville. "It is all over," added Sky Sports' Roy Keane. February 23 - Opta's Premier League title predictions: Liverpool - 96.7% Arsenal - 3.3% The 99ers - Liverpool on the brink Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Diogo Jota made Liverpool 99 per cent favourites by scoring the winner in the Merseyside derby Very minor doubts were creeping in following the Carabao Cup final defeat to Newcastle, as well as the Champions League last-16 exit to Paris Saint-Germain. But this time, the Merseyside derby worked in Liverpool's favour - as victory over Everton took the Reds to a 99 per cent chance of winning the title. Arsenal's 2-1 win against Fulham took the gap to nine points and many wondered whether the title race was back on as David Moyes' Toffees gave Liverpool a big Anfield scare in the first half, just as Saka returned for Arsenal. But Diogo Jota's second-half winner in front of the Kop took Liverpool to the brink of success. Arsenal would also lose Gabriel to a season-ending injury in the same round of fixtures. April 1 - Opta's Premier League title predictions