Liverpool returned to Premier League action on Boxing Night with a hard-fought 3-1 win at Aston Villa.
After Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk had given the visitors a two-goal cushion at half time, the hosts responded with a header from Ollie Watkins before teenage substitute Stefan Bajcetic settled it late on with his first goal in English football.
But you knew all of that, of course. What you might have missed, however, are a series of intriguing subplots at Villa Park on a busy old night on the feast of St Stephen.
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Hello, hello...
A strong first half of football was petering out at Villa Park with the Reds in command at 2-0 and with around 42 minutes on the clock, Villa left-back Lucas Digne came over to take a throw-in near the side of where the Reds' travelling support was housed.
It's nearly a year since the French full-back traded Goodison Park for Villa Park but those in the away end wasted no time reminding Digne of his former loyalties as an Everton player.
Unsurprisingly they did so in less than flattering terms with an insulting chant that cannot be published on the family friendly pages of the Liverpool ECHO.
We're not sure Digne saw the funny side, either.
Shut it!
As Diego Costa will attest to, Jordan Henderson has never been shy of the odd bit of needle and the Liverpool captain found the perfect response for some detractors on the Villa side of things after his substitution late on.
The Reds captain was pictured aiming a shush in the general direction of the Villa bench as he sat in the visiting dugout just moments after his substitution.
It's unclear what the particular fume from the home end was, but Henderson did not take too kindly to it all.
It's not known exactly when the universally recognised signal for 'shut up!' was given but it could quite conceivably have come just after Liverpool's third was tucked home by Stefan Bajcetic.
Either way, the Reds skipper made his point.
Steve Gerrard, Gerrard
As the game ticked into the final few moments at Villa Park, those enjoying themselves in the away end burst into a rendition for one of their favourite sons in Steven Gerrard.
This was not your typical boast about a legendary figure, however. This one was aimed squarely at those in the Holte End who never truly warmed to Gerrard during his recent stint as manager at Villa.
The message was clear: while Villa supporters didn't universally love the former England midfielder, he is still in a class of his own where Kopites are concerned.
It was a point that won't have gone unnoticed by those in the home crowd on the night.
Nunez feels the love
The travelling Kop were in full voice in Birmingham after the final whistle - and who could blame them!?
Having seen their team carve out a tough victory on the road to close the gap on fourth place, many in the Liverpool team were being treated to their own terrace anthems as they all went over to salute those who had made the journey.
But the one reserved for a certain Darwin Nunez seemed to carry a bit more gusto to it.
"Nunez! Nunez! Nunez! they roared and the Uruguay striker responded in kind with a fist pump of his own in recognition of those who had cheered him right to the very end at Villa Park.
The summer signing's all-action performances are fast making him a fan favourite it would seem.
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