Scientists from the University of Liverpool detected earth tremors at Anfield as Liverpool trashed Tottenham Hotspur 5–1 to clinch their 20th English league title.
They confirmed that the celebrations of over 60,000 fans created mini earthquakes powerful enough to be picked up by sensitive monitoring equipment.
The strongest tremor was detected at a magnitude of 1.74 on the Richter scale and was registered when Alexis Mac Allister scored Liverpool’s second goal in the 24th minute.
There were other seismic spikes to goals from Mohamed Salah (1.60), Cody Gakpo (1.03), and a Destiny Udogie own goal (1.35). Even a disallowed goal by Luis Díaz showed a seismic spike of 0.64.
The study was conducted by Antoine Septier, Farnaz Kamranzad, and Professor Ben Edwards from the university’s Department of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences in collaboration with the football club.
According to Mr Edwards, the seismic activity mirrored that of natural events, with each goal triggering bursts of vibration driven purely by fan excitement.
“The enthusiasm of Liverpool fans was powerful enough to move the earth,” he said.
The researchers noted that while the tremors were too subtle to be felt by fans in the stadium, they were strong enough to be permanently captured by underground sensors.
Mr Kamranzad described the findings as a “seismic fingerprint of collective joy,” a record of fans’ emotions in the earth’s memory long after the final whistle.
Mr Septier hoped the data gathered from the study could inspire fresh ideas in seismology and even lead to creative ways of enhancing live matchday experiences.
The match marked a statement performance by Liverpool under new manager Arne Slot, who became the first Dutch coach to win the Premier League in his debut season. He joined an elite group of only five managers in Premier League history to win the league title in their first season, alongside Tom Watson, José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, and Manuel Pellegrini.
Despite an early opener from Spurs’ Dominic Solanke, Liverpool’s response was ruthless, with goals flowing freely and the Anfield crowd erupting.
For many Liverpool fans, this triumph was especially sweet. Their last league win in 2020 came during the COVID-19 lockdowns, with empty stadiums and muted celebrations.
The club has confirmed a victory parade through the city on 26 May, giving fans the chance to celebrate alongside the players. Slot’s side is now level with Manchester United’s record of 20 top-flight titles.
