Its confirmation of three crucial Premier League points for the Reds came at the end of a week in which Jürgen Klopp’s side had not only strengthened their resolve in the title race but also eliminated Bayern Munich from the Champions League.
They had to dig deep to ensure a positive conclusion to the run of fixtures, however, after a defensive mix-up had allowed Ryan Babel to cancel out Sadio Mane’s clinical first-half breakthrough.
But Liverpool found a way; Mane was fouled inside the box on 80 minutes and substitute James Milner held his nerve to successfully lift a penalty into the middle of the goal for a 2-1 win.