Liverpool vs Tottenham result: Five things we learned as reds steal victory at the death to return to the top

A 90th-minute Toby Alderweireld own-goal saw Liverpool seal a 2-1 victory over Spurs and return to the top of the table, while Mauricio Pochettino’s side have now gone five games without a win

Title race complexion changes once more...

In the cat-and-mouse, call-and-response title race that is gradually developing in front of us, it is Liverpool’s turn to “send a message to their rivals”, as Sky Sports are so fond of putting it.

This will have been the fixture that Manchester City fans - and perhaps even some within the club - had circled. It was, on paper, the most difficult one left for their rivals. The one where they were most likely to drop points.

The challengers are not playing nearly as well as the champions at the moment but that Liverpool emerged out of this unscathed, with a vital three points under their arm, and in such dramatic fashion can only be a boon to their chances of ending their 29-year long wait.

It can also only be a small but not insignificant reminder to City that, though this all remains in their hands, Liverpool are still there, clinging onto their coat-tails and clearing the necessary hurdles.

... while the hunt for the top-four tightens up

Where does this defeat leave Tottenham Hotspur? For the first time in Mauricio Pochettino’s reign and the first time in more than seven years, they are winless in five top-flight games. Their last three points came 50 days ago.

The consensus just a few months ago was that they were clearly the Premier League’s third-best side but that has faded quickly, and after results elsewhere went against them this weekend, the top-four race is beyond tight.

There were signs of life from Spurs here. Their response in the second-half was commendable. They were, overall, unlucky to lose. And yet, you worry that they are struggling to perform at their true level.

Curiously, given the various underlying issues at Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, this Tottenham side still appear the ones most likely to survive the fight and reach next year’s Champions League.

In order to do so, however, they need to build on a largely impressive second-half fightback and ensure that this difficult spell ends quickly.

Mohamed Salah celebrates Liverpool's winning goal over Tottenham (PA)

Anfield’s nervous energy - gift or curse?

There is an air around Anfield at the moment. Call it tension or a certain ‘energy’, if you like. It could play a part in Liverpool losing the title. It could still just play a part in them winning it but it is there and will be there until this race is run.

It could be seen in several examples of sloppy play by Klopp’s side after taking the lead. Tottenham were lacking coherence but Liverpool giving them opportunities to find their rhythm by carelessly giving the ball away themselves.

It could be seen in the equaliser, too. Liverpool were too slow to react to Harry Kane's quick free-kick, then too caught up to track any of the Tottenham players inside their penalty area, allowing Lucas Moura's simple finish.

But it could also be seen it the frantic climax and winning goal, the sheer desperation to get any sort of telling touch on the ball to carry it over the line, the insistence that this title challenge is too important to let slide.

The phrase 'this means more' is used on much of Liverpool's club branding this season. Some have wondered whether, when it comes to the domestic title, it all means too much. But amid the celebrations at full time, you wondered whether Anfield's nervous energy is more a gift than a curse.

The tension could be felt inside Anfield (Reuters) (Action Images via Reuters)

Moura impresses with Son on the sidelines

When the Tottenham equaliser came, it was fitting that Moura should be the player on hand to guide the ball into a gaping net.

The Brazilian was one of the few plus points for the visitors in an otherwise underwhelming first-half performance and was a constant annoyance to Liverpool’s lackadaisical defence.

The star of Tottenham’s forward line this season has undoubtedly been Heung-Min Son but he has lost form of late and was kept in reserve by Pochettino once again, with Moura preferred up top.

Whereas Moura was substituted in the defeat at Southampton, he showed that he has the capability to step into Son’s shoes here and could, over the coming month, help drag Tottenham out of this poor run.

Jittery Alisson causes unnecessary nerves

After the mix-up between Alisson and Virgil van Dijk at Craven Cottage before the international break, there was some attention on the pair again and whether similar errors would follow this week.

We should perhaps know by now not to doubt Van Dijk. The centre-half was his usual, cool and collected self and a lonely island of calm in a team that was sometimes struggling for composure.

Lucas Moura celebrates scoring an equaliser for Spurs against Liverpool (Reuters)

His goalkeeper, on the other hand, still displayed the jitters of two weeks ago. There were scuffed clearances, indecisive runs off his goal-line. One needless clash with James Milner almost allowed Tottenham a shot at an open goal.

He was not the only one guilty of this, as mentioned, and it has only rarely been an issue in a largely impressive debut campaign. But at this critical stage of the season, just one moment of madness can prove extremely costly.