Liverpool kept pace with Manchester City after a 1-0 win over West Ham.
Sadio Mane settled the game after 28 minutes when he pounced on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ball to the far post and slid home past Lukasz Fabianski.
The result closed the Reds’ gap with City in the Premier League title race to three points before the champions entertain Manchester United on Sunday.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
Business as usual for the Reds
When West Ham ended Liverpool’s 10-match unbeaten start to this season in November’s corresponding fixture, it felt like something of an anomaly.
Conceding sloppily from set pieces and Alisson’s early own goal encapsulated what was a bad afternoon at the office for Jurgen Klopp’s side in the capital.
Fast-forward four months and the Reds are now undefeated in 22 games at home from all competitions; something that is occasionally taken for granted.
Despite first-half scares by Michael Antonio and Pablo Fornals, the hosts pushed through the gears to maintain breathing space with Manchester City.
David Moyes’ win-less record at Anfield continued for an 18th consecutive game, with the former Everton boss again failing to take maximum points.
In truth, the Scot should have known this would remain an unhappy hunting ground when facing a Liverpool team in such irrepressible home form.
The only question was how many his West Ham side would concede.
Alexander-Arnold integral at both ends
Another blistering display from Luis Diaz dominated at one end of the pitch.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, however, made a compelling case for the Man of the Match for his exploits in both goalmouth areas throughout this encounter.
A 16th assist this season marked his personal best return since the back-to-back haul produced in the 2018/19 and title-winning 2019/20 campaigns.
The England international now sits just 10 more away from eclipsing Leighton Baines’ Premier League record of 53, having made only 153 appearances.
Only partner in crime Andy Robertson could reach the milestone quicker with six to beat his ex-Everton counterpart albeit with 56 games extra played.
In defence, too, Alexander-Arnold kept the hosts ahead with an acrobatic goal line clearance after Pablo Fornals’ dinked effort had bypassed Alisson.
His backline duties did not end there, either, as he shackled Said Benrarhama whenever the Hammers’ substitute attempted to make inroads on goal.
From front to back, the 22-year-old’s influence was all over this latest win.
‘Bring on your Internazionale…’
Early in the second half, The Kop turned its attention to the task ahead with auduble refrains of the popular ‘Bring on your Internazionale…’ chant.
The reigning Italian champions might not feel the same way after seeing their upcoming Champions League last-16 opponents grinding out a 1-0 victory.
Even leading by Sadio Mane’s first-half effort, there appeared little jeopardy as the Hammers struggled to punish them while floundering defensively.
There was once a time when the Anfield crowd would grow nervous about holding a slender margin as the clock ticked down into the game’s final third.
But Klopp’s blueprint of patient build-up and fashioning a raft of chances has successfully allayed the fears held by many of those prone to such fatalism.
Liverpool’s quadruple quest is unlikely to face any genuine challenge as Inter prepare to step into their domicile beneath the floodlights on Tuesday night.
No opponent holds any fears for them; something which the Nerazzuri would do well to remember before plotting to overturn their current two-goal deficit.