What Next for Liverpool? How Early Champions Have Performed After Wrapping Up the Title

Chelsea once again play the role of kingmakers. Although, this time their intervention was a little less decisive. Nevertheless, Willian's coolly struck spot kick evaporated Manchester City's slim Premier League title aspirations.

Much like Leicester City's champions four years ago, Liverpool's squad were gathered together around a screen in their civvies, poised for the coronation prompted by three sharp parps of a whistle hundreds of miles away.

And with that, it was official. Liverpool's '30 years of hurt' (which included two Champions League trophies) was finally over. Based on the social media footage that spilled out in the aftermath, the celebrations were - aside from the depressing reality that some players felt the need to live this seismic accomplishment through a glass rectangle - deservedly joyous.

In club captain Jordan Henderson's own words: "The gaffer knows how to celebrate."

However, with the title wrapped up, no other competitions to play for and no fans in the stadium to appease, what is there to play for? Will Jürgen Klopp and his side approach the final league games like contractual obligations or will they strive for the intangible allure of increasingly obscure records?

A title triumph with seven games to go is one record which can already be ticked off the list. While Liverpool's achievements this season - whatever the remainder of the campaign coughs up - are extraordinary, other sides have had their name carved into silver a while before the open-top parade.

After the party comes the hangover, but how have past champions coped in the cold light of day, post festivities?

1. Manchester United - 1907/08

Post Title Record: 1W 2D 2L

Six years after ditching the name Newton Heath, Manchester United started the 20th Football League campaign in red hot form, winning 13 of the first 14 matches. A wobble after Christmas culminated in a bizarre 7-4 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford but the title was sealed shortly after.

United's focus began to slip before they even were officially champions, recording just one win from their final five outings. Despite the drop off, they eventually sauntered to the club's first ever title, nine points ahead of Aston Villa and neighbours Manchester City.

2. Everton - 1984/85

Post Title Record: 2W 0D 3L

Two losses to begin the campaign represented a shaky start but between Christmas and their mathematical coronation in May, Everton went unbeaten - dropping points in just two games.

Incidentally, the Toffees also reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup and FA Cup. Everton lost to mid-table Nottingham Forest four days before the continental final, with top scorer Graeme Sharp and FWA Footballer of the Year Peter Reid on the bench.

Howard Kendall's side reaped the rewards and beat Rapid Wien in Rotterdam, although Manchester United denied them a third trophy.

After rousing themselves for the Merseyside derby, Everton's last two games brought two defeats to bottom-half teams. Having lost three games in the previous eight months, Everton conspired to record three defeats in two and a half weeks.

3. Manchester United - 2000/01

Post Title Record: 1W 1D 3L

The side which completed a hat-trick of Premier League titles in 2001 was one of the least memorable in Sir Alex Ferguson's pantheon of championship-winning teams, possibly because of their lukewarm conclusion.

Like Liverpool, United had nothing left to play for and Ferguson rang the changes for the final five games which brought three defeats - as many as in the previous 33 league outings.

The less distinguished names of Bojan Djordjic and Ronnie Wallwork were afforded some minutes but, perhaps tellingly, Roy Keane - and his threats of violence - did not not feature after dishing out his revenge on Alf-Inge Haaland once the title had been confirmed.

4. Manchester City - 2017/18

Post Title Record: 4W 1D 0L

Pep Guardiola's side barely wavered from their relentless form as they went in search of a record-breaking 100 points. This allure of statistical achievement is not only evident from the social media output (see above) churned out by some poor intern but by the genuine joy in Gabriel Jesus' shirtless celebration after netting a winner away to Southampton to break the three-digit point barrier.

Klopp could harness this as motivation for his side, with the added bonus of surpassing many of the records set by Manchester City just two years ago.