For the first time since New Years' Eve, Liverpool have won a Premier League game. After their hideous January had the miserable postscript of a 2-0 defeat to Hull City, they have finally returned to form with a barnstorming 2-0 victory against Spurs at Anfield.
Remarkably, Liverpool are top of the top six mini-league, having not lost a single game against Chelsea, City, United, Spurs, and Arsenal thus far this season, with a trip to City and the visit of Arsenal yet to come.
Sadio Mané was the goalscoring hero: his pace on the counter ripped Spurs apart in the opening half, and his two-goal salvo could have been more: he shaved the outside of Hugo Lloris' left-hand post having already put Liverpool 2-0 up.
As impressive and important Mané undoubtedly was, however, they had another, unlikely performer: Lucas Leiva. The Brazilian is Liverpool's longest serving player (he was signed in the same 2007 window as Fernando Torres) but has struggled for form of late. Klopp has often selected him at centre-half for Liverpool, and did so at Hull last weekend.
Lucas, like everyone in Red, was awful on that occasion, and he earned the ire of Jamie Carragher in particular, with the Sky commentator criticising the club for being in a situation that left Lucas as the club's fourth-choice centre-half.
Dejan Lovren missed the Spurs game again today, and despite the returning Ragnar Klavan, Klopp kept faith with Lucas to deal with the considerable challenge of dealing with Harry Kane.
He did so magnificently, however, leaving Kane without a sniff of action, and heading off the line from Moussa Dembele in the first half. He left the game ten minutes from time to a standing ovation from Anfield.
Supporters online were equally impressed:
Lucas Leiva made 3 interceptions in the first half vs. Spurs, more than any other player on the pitch.
Stepping up. pic.twitter.com/ok2dTxyXsS— Squawka (@Squawka) February 11, 2017
The club doctors are confident they will be able to successfully remove Harry Kane from Lucas Leiva's pocket in time for the bus ride home!
— Ken Donagasaki (@1cru) February 11, 2017
