Liverpool players were quick to celebrate their stirring win over Tottenham which secured three vital points in the race for the Premier League title.
The Reds returned to action on Sunday in dramatic fashion as they clinched a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Spurs at Anfield to reclaim their place atop of the Premier League table.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side got off to a bright start with Roberto Firmino heading home Liverpool’s opener, only for Tottenham to capitalise on their sustained bout of pressure to equalise in the second half.
Liverpool’s search for a winning goal left them vulnerable at the back and required expert intervention from Virgil van Dijk to ensure there was a fighting chance of ending the game with all three points.
It set up a frantic finish whereby Mohamed Salah‘s header towards goal caused Tottenham to scramble and bundle the ball over the line and hand the Reds their 24th league win of the campaign.
It was a result which Trent Alexander-Arnold credited Liverpool for “wanting it more” after the game, where he also singled out Van Dijk for praise after his decisive intervention.
“[When the second goal was scored] it was relief more than anything.
“They had a massive chance near the end of the game just before we scored, and Virgil showed why he’s one of the best defenders in the world with his decision making [having] closed the angle down and put pressure on their player.
“Then we went up the other end, it was very fortunate but at the end of the day a goal is a goal and a win is the most important thing.
“It was tough, they’re a really top side and they might feel like they deserved a little bit more, but we showed that we wanted it more and that we’re a top side.
“We’re not really fussed on how we get the win or really how we perform anymore, its all about the points we can get and that’s the main thing for us.
“We’ve shown we can get late goals this season, Chelsea away, Everton at home as well and obviously the last two fixtures.
“So we’re showing that we’re going to the end and we can grind out wins, and we’ve got all different types of wins this season and hopefully that can carry on in the last six games.
Gini Wijnaldum, meanwhile, felt luck was on the Reds’ side when he spoke to LFCTV, where he also voiced his confidence in the team handling the pressure of the last six games.
“[It was] a really lucky afternoon.
[…]
“At times you really need [luck]. I think every team during the season needs luck especially if you play for things.
“But there were also moments in the season that we didn’t have the luck we had now and that cost us points but it’s good to be on the other side now where the luck is and to win this game.
“We were chasing the winning goal and they had chances. You have moments in a game where the opponent might score and [Tottenham] didn’t, and we were lucky.
“We will see [if we can handle the nerves of the last six games]. What I feel in the team is that everyone is quite comfortable with the situation we are in so we always have to wait until when we can handle the pressure but its going well, so we keep going.”
After the game, the Dutchman and Fabinho took to Instagram to praise the Anfield faithful and share their joy after the “breath-taking finish” clinched another big win:
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Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson, Divock Origi and Andy Robertson were feeling the “late winner” vibes:
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James Milner, Firmino and Alexander-Arnold also joined in on the celebrations as they praised their team-mates’ fighting spirit:
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Liverpool now have a quick turnaround as they will meet Southampton at St Mary’s on Friday evening.
But Klopp’s side will no doubt be brimming with confidence after another late victory handed a boost to their title hopes.
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