Nunez was also a serious threat in the first half and put in such a tireless shift that he fully deserved his standing ovation when he was substituted late on.

Liverpool were penned back after the break but with goalkeeper Alisson outstanding and Ibrahima Konate a rock, they showed a resilience that has been mysteriously missing at times this season to secure the three points that released the elation at the final whistle.

They now have the chance to go into the World Cup break on a high with a home game against struggling Southampton.

Spurs yet again made a slow start. This was the sixth successive game in which they have gone behind, the 13th in 20 matches in all competitions.

It is unsustainable and, coupled with unforced errors like that produced by Dier, there will be occasions when the hole is too deep for them to dig themselves out of and this was one of them.

Spurs actually responded well to going behind but Dier’s mistake was fatal for their hopes. Defensively they look vulnerable while Lloris, for all his glowing reputation, still remains prone to mistakes.

Antonio Conte’s side turned up the tempo after the break and could easily have secured a draw, with Ivan Perisic hitting the woodwork in each half, and Spurs certainly had a passable penalty claim ignored when Ryan Sessegnon appeared to be pushed to the ground in the area by Trent Alexander-Arnold in the first period.

Spurs simply gave themselves too much to do, especially as they were missing the injured Son Heung-min and Richarlison, while the talented Dejan Kulusevski only returned as a substitute here, immediately showing his quality and what they have been missing by setting up a goal for Harry Kane.

This was Liverpool’s day. It was the sort of result that was commonplace when they were right at their best. They were not at their best at Spurs but still had enough threat in the shape of Salah to get themselves a lead then showed enough resilience to keep Conte’s side at bay.

It must now be Liverpool’s template for the rest of the season.