A few minutes after Liverpool took potentially their penultimate if not final step towards the title, Virgil van Dijk gave the match-winner a gentle nudge, a little lumbar support.
For a moment Van Dijk’s duty as captain extended to ushering Trent Alexander-Arnold towards the fans who are resigned to him departing for Real Madrid this summer, but only after the club win a 20th league title. Alexander-Arnold applauded and then clenched both fists overhead, a nod to the incoming crown.