Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool left his former employers Swansea City feeling a little aggrieved on Monday night, when they came away from the Liberty Stadium with a 1-0 away win.
The Swans were dominant in the first-half, shutting down the visitors' style-of-play with Garry Monk's clever tactics to opt for a diamond-shaped midfield, but they could not take advantage of their chances.
They were left to rue missed opportunities when the Reds brought on Steven Gerrard in the second-half, switching to a diamond midfield themselves as they grew into the game.
The increased control paid dividends with little over 20 minutes left, when Fabianski was left flat-footed from a lucky, looping deflection that flew beyond him and into the back of the net after Jordi Amat had attempted to dispossess Jordan Henderson.
The Reds' win was a crucial one as the race for the UEFA Champions League spots heats up with less than 10 games to go, but what did we learn from Swansea 0-1 Liverpool?
1. The Reds are a different beast away from home.
This time last season, Brendan Rodgers had seen his side drop a mere five points from an available 42 all season at Anfield - losing to Southampton and drawing to Aston Villa. The Reds had won all 12 other home games as L4 become an almost invincible fortress again, but this season, things haven't quite been the same. At the same stage, 29 games in, the Reds have won only eight of their 14 home games - drawing five, struggling against the likes of Sunderland, Hull City and Leicester City. But even without their dominant form, the Reds have still managed to charge their way up the table - thanks to their sensational performances on the road. Five of their seven losses this season have come away from Anfield, but their win at Swansea marked their sixth successive away clean sheet since a 3-0 loss at Manchester United in mid-December. That's a club record, meaning Simon Mignolet joins an exclusive list of only two other Liverpool goalkeepers to keep six consecutive shut-outs in the top-flight. It was also the Reds' seventh clean sheet of the campaign, having not had more since 2008-09 under Rafael Benitez. Whether it's something in the water on Merseyside, or Brendan Rodgers' 3-4-3 tactics work better on the counter-attack, all the signs point towards the fact that Liverpool are better on the travel. Music to the ears of Kopites then that five of their last nine Premier League games this season are away from home.
2. Daniel Sturridge's return has not been all that prolific.
After Sturridge scored just 12 minutes into his return from a five-month long injury lay-off, Liverpool fans would be excused for believing that the goals were to flow. Without the English international, who had been red hot for the Reds since joining in January 2013, Brendan Rodgers' side were struggling to convert the ample opportunities they were making for themselves. The return of such a clinical striker like Sturridge would surely solve all those problems, right? Well it certainly seemed that way, but so far, the largely prolific partnership between Liverpool and Sturridge has yet to get going again. Sure, the 25-year-old has scored three goals and notched an assist, but in 12 (only eight of which he has played over 30 minutes or more) games, he has yet to rediscover the goalscoring form that saw him come 2nd in the Barclays' Premier League goalscorers charts last season. Perhaps the fact that he spent so long out with a culmination of different injuries means it may be months until Sturridge starts firing on all cylinders again, or perhaps there are other underlying problems. With Raheem Sterling up-front, the Reds current system has been fluid - as seen against Manchester City at Anfield a few weeks ago - though the trio of Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho and Sterling has been split up in favour of Sturridge starting up top recently, with differing results. Sturridge has not yet slotted into the 3-4-2-1 formation as many would have hoped, maybe because of the lack of a striking partner, or his lack of full match fitness. It's probably nothing to be worried about long-term, but it does beg the question as to whether the Reds may be best-served reverting to a line-up which sees the 20-year-old replace his older compatriot in the front-line, or even play alongside him. There's plenty of time for Sturridge to rediscover his best in a red shirt, but at the moment he cuts a frustrated figure.
3. Simon Mignolet is a new man.
The form of Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was a real issue in the early months of the 2014-15 campaign. Error after error, the Belgian's Anfield future was looking more and more uncertain with each game. With goal-kick's that swerved into the touchline and a hesitancy to come off his line to claim, punch or get anything onto a set-piece delivery, Mignolet's uncertainty bred panic across the back four. As a result, the sloppy defending from the 2013-14 season carried right over into the current campaign, and Liverpool were dropping points because of it. The pinnacle came when he was dropped for the Reds' clash away at Manchester United, having made high-profile gaffes against Leicester City and Ludogorets Razgrad in the weeks earlier. But ever since returning to the side courtesy of a piece of pure fortune, Brad Jones' thigh injury sustained against Burnley on Boxing Day - Mignolet has been a completely different character. With a renewed sense of confidence, combined with his natural talent for shot-stopping, the Belgian has been a figure to rely on at the back - and the Reds clean sheets on the road speak volumes. Having been "taken out of the spotlight", a brief break seems to have done the world of good for the ex-Sunderland goalkeeper, who has kept eight clean sheets in 12 league games in 2015 so far, keeping 12 across the season in total. And he was in inspired form again at the Liberty, making some vital saves in the first-half to keep out Gylfi Sigurdsson and Bafetimbi Gomis. Having had to rely on a sterner defence in recent weeks, Mignolet is proving that anybody can come good if given a second chance. Long may the Belgian's improvement continue.
4. Jordan Henderson proving his captaincy credentials.
Though the ball did not find it's way into the back of the net quite in the way that Henderson expected it to, his fortuitous goal against Swansea meant that Liverpool's stand-in skipper has scored three goals from outside-of-the-box in his last three consecutive matches. All of them have contributed to victories, giving the Reds the first goal of the game. Fair to say then, that Henderson is making his contributions matter. Having been criticised for a lack of impact in the final third this season, no-one can argue with his current tally of five goals and 12 assists in all competitions so far this season. Looking like very much the favourite to replace Steven Gerrard as the club's captain in the summer, the £20-million man brought in under Kenny Dalglish is making his case for the armband known. The 24-year-old was industrious once again in central midfield, alongside the impressive Joe Allen, despite having an off-night in possession. Coming up with the goods when it mattered made all that forgotten though, even if the Mackem's goal was somewhat of a freakish nature - as long as Henderson continues to add goals and assists to his game, Jordan Henderson's Liverpool could begin to have quite a ring to it in a few years' time.
5. Liverpool are one of the top four's strongest contenders.
Whilst their performance was far from ideal, it is a testament to the Reds' improvement that they were able to come away from Monday's night game with the win. Only a few months ago, Liverpool's defence would have crumbled way before the ball nicked off of Henderson and looped over Fabianski, but they stayed strong and their defensive resilience has been the foundations on which a top-four charge has been built. Two points off of their next opponents, Manchester United, who occupy 4th spot in the position above them, the Reds now know their fate is well and truly in their hands. Not least the fact that they then travel to Arsenal, to take on Arsene Wenger's side who have found momentum and confidence in their traditionally late swing towards the top four. But having been ruled out earlier in the season, Liverpool's current form has been nothing short of miraculous. There's a lot left to do yet, but a win against United and it would be hard to be against the Reds giving themselves a second crack at the European whip next year.