Exorcisms have rarely been so frenziedly glorious as this. Amid all the focus on the loss of Philippe Coutinho, who did not want to play for Liverpool any more, it was the talent who turned down other offers in order to turn out for Jürgen Klopp who set the ball rolling.

The symbolism of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s rasping right-footed shot beyond Ederson, the Manchester City goalkeeper, would have made a landmark day even sweeter for the Liverpool manager. Of course, the fall-out from a breathless contest is more nuanced than any grand conclusion suggesting: “Who needs Coutinho?” There will be times over the coming weeks when Liverpool do miss the creativity of the Brazil attacker but, psychologically, this was a hugely important victory for those he