When Alisson and Virgil van Dijk got themselves in an almighty muddle following James Milner's miscued clearance, Liverpool looked set for a 1-1 draw that could've proved to be a detrimental blow to their title hopes.
However, Sadio Mane was to be brought down inside the box to gift Jurgen Klopp's side a chance to take all the spoils on an afternoon where they were well below their best.
James Milner: Mr Reliable from the spot
James Milner has proved to be one of the most reliable figures from spot kicks within England's top-flight and he looked unfazed once again, stepping up for what could end up being a crucial goal come the end of the season with an ice-cool finish.
The win saw Liverpool return to the top of the Premier League, two points ahead of Manchester City who have a game in on their title-rivals having featured in the FA Cup over the weekend. The Reds will play another game in hand on Pep Guardiola's side when they face Southampton after the international break , putting pressure on City to do their job for the remainder of the season.
Milner delivers despite pressure to keep Liverpool firmly in the title-race
“It was me who put him [Van Dijk] in the mire,” Milner told Sky Sports post-match. The gaffer said ‘come on and calm it down’, so the best thing to do is to slice it over the top and put Virgil under pressure, which wasn’t ideal! But luckily enough we got the result and did what we needed to do."
“I think obviously what’s gone before, I feel that’s probably my fault. The goal, it’s important I put it away and made up for that, but there’s years of practice gone into my penalties and in the game you’ve just got to go back to what you’ve been practising, be calm and know what you’re going to do.”
Liverpool face Spurs after the international break before pivotal clashes against Chelsea and a Champions League tie with Porto.