The booing around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will have sounded like music to the ears of Jurgen Klopp.
As it dawned on the away fans that the Spurs onslaught was finally over, a rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone could be heard from those mainly in red before it was drowned out by the disapproval in the home stands.
The final whistle of Andy Madley confirmed it: a gritty, backs-to-the-wall display full of character and heart was enough. The manager even performed his trademark three-punch salute to the Liverpool fans who'd made the journey to north London. It's a routine that has been conspicuous by its absence of late, but its return was symbolic here. This just felt like a huge triumph.
LFC RATINGS: Mohamed Salah and one other superb in win over Tottenham
LFC ANALYSIS: Ibrahima Konate change becomes clear as truth emerges about problem position
The cynics will snipe that Liverpool are now only up to the dizzying heights of eighth in the Premier League, but this weekend could yet be vital when the final scores are totted up.
Klopp will still need to furnish his squad further in the winter window surely, but in a three-month period that has seen Liverpool lurch from the ordinary to the awful on the road, their first away victory since May in the league was a giant one.
Klopp made three changes to his lineup as Harvey Elliott, Andy Robertson and Darwin Nunez all came into the side at the expense of Jordan Henderson, Kostas Tsimikas and Curtis Jones.
Nunez started in typically bullish fashion, haring down the left of the front three and he forced Hugo Lloris into an early save with a well-struck effort before curling another wide moments later.
The Uruguay international's most decisive contribution came when he laid in Salah after a wonderful, sweeping team move that also involved Elliott and Robertson. The Egyptian took one touch before dispatching superbly with 11 minutes played.
Spurs looked bereft of much craft in their lineup outside of captain Harry Kane as Antonio Conte named a defensive-looking XI but the hosts almost responded when the England skipper's cross was forced onto the post by Alisson Becker's shoulder as Ivan Perisic lurked.
The second arrived almost out of nothing when Eric Dier's mistake allowed Salah in behind. The No.11 was coolness personified as he lifted the unexpected chance over the on-rushing Lloris for his 14th of the campaign.
After starting, by his astronomically high standards, in a relatively slow fashion this season, Salah now has five in his last four games in all competitions and is leading the way as the club's most prolific marksman yet again. He is now just four away from equalling Robbie Fowler's Premier League record of 128 at Anfield.
Carry on in this razor-sharp form and he’d be an outside bet to do it next week; an in-form Salah changes everything for Liverpool’s possibilities.
Kane scored with an excellent finish after Spurs found an extra gear through Dejan Kulusevski's arrival but the final 20 minutes saw the visitors stand up to be counted. For all the sloppy play and inability to hold on to the ball for a prolonged period, the resolute nature of how they held firm must be considered a huge positive given it hasn't taken much for their defensive reserves to be breached.
Ibrahima Konate, in particular, was outstanding. In a season where injuries have yet again been lamented by the Reds' coaching and medical teams, his absence was felt as keenly as any. This was the first time this campaign he has started successive games and it was only his fourth appearance in total.
As the crosses rained down on the Liverpool penalty area, no other player made more than Konate's eight clearances and the centre-back won back possession for his team 11 times in total. If he can stay fit, he will form one of the most fearsome centre-back partnerships in Europe next to Van Dijk in the coming years.
On a weekend when Chelsea and Manchester United both lost, that Liverpool also inflicted defeat on another team above them was huge. The weekend it all changed for the Reds' season? Only bravery or foolishness would have anyone suggesting that with real confidence just now, but this was a major step in the direction they absolutely need to be heading.
The Reds will now look at a table that sees them seven points behind their hosts here in fourth with a game in hand at Chelsea to come next year. This, patently, is not the season anyone will have envisioned back in August but this is where Liverpool find themselves just now and this 2-1 victory was a shot in the arm.
Victory at home to Southampton next week and Reds fans won't want the World Cup-enforced break to be thrust upon them.
Liverpool have turned more corners than Lewis Hamilton this season but this has to be the day their surge back to something resembling normality finally started.
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