Falling to another loss: Tottenham's Harry Winks goes down under the challenge of Roberto Firmino during yesterday's Premier League clash at Anfield. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Liverpool's win over Spurs is their most important victory of the season. It's the one which makes them look genuine champion material.

The eight successive wins at the start of the campaign were undeniably exhilarating. But what mattered more was Liverpool's reaction to the ending of that run at Old Trafford last week.

Remember last season? Liverpool entered the new year 10 points clear of Manchester City after nine wins on the trot.

A defeat by their closest rivals began a run of just four wins in nine games which saw the Reds slip from top spot.

After surrendering first place, Jurgen Klopp's team finished with a perfect nine wins from nine. But it wasn't enough because City did the same and held on to the slender lead the Reds had gifted to them. It was as though Liverpool had been spooked to find themselves out in front and could only play their best football once they'd fallen behind.

Nine days ago Liverpool once more found themselves holding a substantial lead over the champions. This time it was eight points. A putrid performance against Manchester United saw it cut to six and at half-time yesterday it looked as though that would fall to three. The boost for City would have been enormous.

This time round Liverpool weren't playing badly. After falling behind to Harry Kane's goal in the 47th second they'd besieged the Spurs goal. But as inspired visiting goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga denied Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino. Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, the afternoon began to assume an ominous cast for the home support.

When Sadio Mane nodded a superb Alexander-Arnold through ball wide from just eight yards on the half-hour the feeling of déjà vu increased. And as Son Heung-min outpaced Dejan Lovren two and a half minutes into the second half and rounded Alisson you could practically hear Pep Guardiola pouring the champagne.

Then, in a moment which may seem pivotal at the end of the season, Son's shot came back off the bar. Even the best teams need a break. But mainly they need to make their own luck and one of the characteristics of title winning is an ability to find unlikely heroes.

Last week it was forgotten man Adam Lallana popping up for an equaliser. This week's marksman, just like Lallana, was another player unlikely to have been backed as first scorer.

Last season Jordan Henderson scored one goal, the same total he managed the season before and the season before that. It may well be that the one he notched in the 52nd minute constitutes his sole scoring return for this season, yet his finish seemed like a definitive proof of the old saying that what's seldom is wonderful. Mane, Salah or Firmino could have done no better.

Liverpool's winner owed a great deal to the simple, old-fashioned virtue of chasing down apparently lost causes. Mane looked to have no better than a 40pc chance of beating Serge Aurier to a long ball yet harried the defender into a clumsy swipe which handed Liverpool a penalty. Salah converted as though failure to do so was inconceivable.

Mane is a marvellous player, quick, brave, strong, skilful, but not the least of his attributes is an optimism which makes him believe there may be riches at the end of every run. More than any other player he epitomises the relentlessness at the heart of Klopp's side.

In two weeks' time they host City. Had they failed to turn around yesterday's result that match would have seemed like a must-win for Liverpool. Now the pressure is on City.

The importance of momentum can be overstated. It's not inevitable for one good or bad result to be followed by another of the same ilk. Yet last season Liverpool did seem to get stuck in a rut which ultimately cost them the title. Their ability to quickly move on from last week's performance suggests things may be different now.

Spurs are different too, but regressing rather than progressing. They resemble one of those stylish Liverpool teams from the fallow years which shone brightly and never won anything.

The Pochettino project may be coming apart at the seams. Big individual contributions from Kane, Son and Toby Aldeweireld made them dangerous until the end, yet perhaps the bellwether performances came from Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli.

The midfield duo have performed fitfully this season and were anonymous at Anfield. Eriksen looks like a man thinking of his transfer options while Alli is in danger of becoming a lesson in unfulfilled potential. This is a team whose moment is passing away.

There is, by contrast, a feeling of destiny about Liverpool, as though this season is building towards Klopp's managerial apotheosis. Every season has seen a step forward and improvements are apparent this term too.

Alexander-Arnold is enormously influential as an attacking force, Joel Matip has become a top-class defender, Fabinho has upped his performance a notch from last season.

The team also seems to possess a new grim determination not to let any point slip. It's like last season taught Liverpool they're in a new kind of title race. Usually we refer to the last few months of the season as The Endgame. But when Manchester City are your rivals the margin for error is so tight the season is all Endgame.

Liverpool's destiny remains in their own hands. Last season they held the lead for just two months. They'll hang on longer this time. You know who used to win games like this one? Alex Ferguson's Manchester United.

Irish Independent