Klopp’s title-chasers made to suffer at the hands of Kane-Son express

With 56 minutes gone, as the sky began to fade from powder blue to black, Emerson Royal pumped a hopeful pass into the empty air above the roof-lights, seeking out Harry Kane, who craned his neck, adjusting his feet, reading the arc.

At that point the game seemed to fall apart a little. For almost an hour this had been a close, stifling game. Just before half-time Liverpool had applied one of those periods of surge-football, where they seem to be playing out of the same red mist, winning the ball back repeatedly, forcing the Spurs players to sweat and puff and turn a little dizzy.

Related: Tottenham’s resistance puts major dent in Liverpool’s title hopes

But suddenly there was space. Trent Alexander-Arnold dawdled. Kane killed the ball on the bounce and surging infield, feeling that inbuilt two-way radar start to twang, registering that familiar figure up ahead. Kane and Son. This is not a partnership. It is a deep and meaningful commitment. It’s fireworks.

The ball was nudged on to Ryan Sessegnon, making a fine run outside. And by now that pressure was gone. The shapes were clear, the angles set. Sessegnon produced the perfect cutback and Son Heung-min was there to tap it into the net, reward for a relentless, fearless performance.

And in that moment the season began to turn a little. This was always a high-stakes game: another peg in that unforgiving title run-in, and for Spurs a treacherous step in their own pursuit of fourth place.

The top line will be two points dropped by Liverpool. They are now reliant on Manchester City losing one or drawing two. It will surely go right to the end but with an edge now, a feeling that City can find some clear blue air in this race.

But the story of the night was Tottenham, and a