Liverpool 1-2 Tottenham: Why the Reds' victory could be crucial

 Liverpool 1-2 Tottenham: Why the Reds' victory could be crucial

After surviving a late Tottenham siege to take advantage of the luxury of back-to-back victories, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp finally broke out his signature fist pump once more.

These three points were crucial, as seen by the post-match celebrations with manager and players in front of Liverpool's supporters. Klopp's team was on edge in the dying minutes of Sunday's 2-1 victory, the first on the road in the league this season.

The Champions League victory over Napoli was pleasing because it came against a side that was on a roll in Europe and it helped heal the scars from back-to-back league losses to struggling Nottingham Forest and Leeds United at Anfield.

Although it was in the setting of what was essentially a dead rubber with the group placings already decided barring a stunning reversal, some of the real Liverpool stood up against Napoli.

Liverpool's victory against Spurs was more significant because it came against a team that had been a concern for them last season. Their late draw at Anfield was also significant because it determined whether Manchester City would win the title by one point on the final day of the season.

This victory could be crucial as the competition for the top four spots intensifies following the World Cup, especially with Arsenal and Manchester City threatening to widen the gap at the top of the league.

Consistency will be crucial for Klopp and Liverpool right now. Real Liverpool must constantly be standing up. They have to show up frequently, and this season they haven't been able to.

When Liverpool defeated the defending champions Manchester City and West Ham United at Anfield, it appeared as though they had found their stride. However, two dreadful league performances soon followed.

But there is always hope where Mohamed Salah is present.

After a sluggish start to the season, he is back to his best, ostensibly playing in a more limited right-flank role, but he has been deadly in recent weeks.

With two goals in the first half, Salah demonstrated his world-class abilities and moved up to sixth place all-time among Liverpool league goal scorers with 124 goals.

The way Salah controlled Darwin Nunez's pass in an instant before firing a left-footed effort past Hugo Lloris was spectacular, even if Liverpool had been exploiting huge open areas on the Spurs right wing from the start.

Salah's second goal came as a result of Eric Dier's misdirected header back to Lloris, but he handled it with poise and used excellent skill to loft it over the Frenchman as the ball glided toward the goal.