It had to be him, didn't it? Even before his goal, Mohamed Salah looked right up for this fixture, and it was no surprise when he put Liverpool in front.

It was a little unexpected to see Salah nod the Reds into the lead with his head, far from his trademark finish, but he had the air of a man determined to find the net in any which way. This came, of course, after being left out of the starting line-up on multiple occasions — most recently against West Ham, culminating in a public dispute with Jürgen Klopp as the manager went to bring him on with 15 minutes to go.

Salah did not immediately move to diffuse the tensions, telling the mixed zone after that game that there would be 'fire' if he spoke to them. But Klopp insisted the issue had been resolved, a message he reiterated in the week, and then named the Egyptian in the side to play Spurs.

Salah rewarded this decision with a goal, and his celebration was telling. It seemed to back up his manager's claims that the issue has been put to bed.

There was perhaps a slight hint of defiance in Salah's raised fist, a quiet reminder that he remains the go-to man for goals in this side. But for the most part, it was an understated affair, a conciliatory gesture that underlined this is still a team where everyone is pulling in the same direction.

Having celebrated with the crowd and his teammates, Salah then dropped to the turf in his customary gesture, a nod to his religious beliefs. This has become a hugely familiar sight at Anfield over the years, and the 31-year-old has even been credited with reducing prejudice in the region and around the country.