Jurgen Klopp bowed out as Liverpool manager with a win over Wolves.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men on the half-hour mark after Nelson Semedo received a red card for a rash challenge on Alexis Mac Allister.
Mac Allister later opened the scoring courtesy of a tidy header from Harvey Elliott’s cross on the right-hand side to set Klopp’s farewell in motion.
Jarell Quansah doubled the Reds’ advantage just before the interval with his first Premier League home goal by guiding in Mohamed Salah’s initial effort.
Victory in Klopp’s 491st and final game in charge ensured that his side ended the Premier League season in third place, 14 points clear of Aston Villa.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
An afternoon of raw emotion
This game and the result was always going to be immaterial for Liverpool.
It wasn’t how Jurgen Klopp will have envisaged his eight-and-a-half years at the helm ending when making the shock announcement in late January.
There was nothing on the line for the Reds, with the Premier League title long out of reach and their third-place standing assured with several weeks spare.
But the self-effacing German received the best possible send-off which began with thousands lining the approach to Anfield to greet his team before kick-off.
A large mosaic that spanned three sides of the ground spelled out a message of ‘Danke Jurgen – YNWA’ ahead of his 491st and final outing in the hot seat.
It was accompanied by a large banner, unfurled across the famous terrace, declaring ‘Doubters, Believers, Conquerors’ with the six major trophies won.
Mid-game, chants for players past and present that soundtracked the Klopp era were aired, including Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Divock Origi.
Minutes before the end of normal time, a vociferous and widespread rendition of ‘Jurgen said to me…’ went up and continued long after the final whistle.
A routine victory capped off Klopp’s long goodbye before a heartfelt address to fans inside the stadium and one final round of his trademark fist pumps.
Life will go on for Liverpool but never quite like it has since October 2015.
Klopp already has his feet up
For the first time in living memory, Anfield witnessed a genuinely rare sight.
Klopp’s reign has been typified by his permanent presence on the touchline; visibly cajoling his players and even his own supporters when required.
Yet his looming departure saw a more relaxed approach on that front.
The 56-year-old occupied his trademark stance at kick-off but long before the first half’s midway stage, he was already preparing to take a load off.
A previously underused seat in the dugout was utilised for large parts of the opening 45 minutes as Klopp broke with tradition when taking in proceedings.
Little had changed early in the second half as he remained in that sedentary position until the 65th minute before later retreating in the 83rd minute.
It’s possible that after close to 500 matches in charge, Klopp was finally prepared to put his feet up, quite literally, on an emotionally-charged day.
In that context, a carefree approach was understandable but a surreal experience for those still coming to terms with him not being manager next season.
…but points to a brighter future
Klopp did, however, point to the immediate future during his post-match address by attempting to repackage his own chant for successor Arne Slot.
The Feyenoord head coach’s impending coronation has been the worst-kept secret in recent weeks with an official announcement expected imminently.
Slot had his own farewell to contend with in his side’s Eredivisie finale with Excelsior, a 4-0 home victory, taking place earlier on Sunday afternoon.
When he does eventually arrive this summer, the 45-year-old will inherit a squad largely equipped for the future thanks to Klopp’s ‘Liverpool 2.0’ rebuild.
The Dutchman could not have asked for a better calibre of players to work in addition to a revolutionary infrastructure to help usher in his new era.
Uncertainty will still play a part, with Slot likely to face some early challenges during his adjustment period to the harsh realities of the Premier League.
He is, however, blessed with solid foundations that make the task far easier than the one his predecessor inherited some eight-and-a-half years ago.
A rendition of ‘Three Little Birds’, which soundtracked Klopp’s early reign, from in the second half spoke to the cautious optimism that every little thing will be alright.