Rarely do Liverpool emerge from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without some scratches and bruises, and while Arne Slot's side defeated the Londoners in the Premier League, it was a victory tainted by numerous grievances.
But this is not shaping out to be a pretty season for the Premier League champions, whose successive victory in the Premier League have extended their unbeaten run to five matches, with a win in the Champions League against Inter Milan at San Siro besides.
After a fiery and frantic encounter, Liverpool showed that they still lack the requisite control and fluency to challenge for the league title.
Alexander Isak's goal should have been a relief, a turning point for the struggling talisman. But Isak got injured in the process of scoring off the bench.
Alexander Isak's misery continues
When it rains, it pours. It is typical that Isak entered the fray after half-time and quickly bagged to set Liverpool on their way against Thomas Frank's Spurs, only to injure himself in the process of striking on goal.
It looked a painful one, with the 26-year-old, who joined Liverpool from Newcastle United for a record-breaking £125m fee on deadline day, swept aside by Micky van de Ven. It has since been insinuated that Isak has damaged his lower leg, which is preferable to a knee injury, if still deeply concerning.
The saving grace comes in the shape of Hugo Ekitike, whose second-half strike marked his fifth goal in three Premier League games. The 23-year-old joined Liverpool for £69m in July, and he looks every bit the world-class superstar Slot needs to spearhead his system.
It wasn't a fine performance, but Liverpool got the job done, and the win underlined the calibre of attacking talent the Reds have at their disposal.
Now, an anxious wait for fears of a long-term layoff to be allayed - or not - for Isak, who scored only his second Premier League goal of the campaign.
Isak and Ekitike both got their goals, but it was a superstar on the other end of the field who proved himself to be Liverpool's main man on a crucial evening in the Premier League
A fierce attack wins you games, but a mean defence wins you titles. Liverpool have got some of the best in both areas, and so must surely kick on now, having won three in a row in all competitions.
If the Reds are to rekindle their most fluent form, Virgil van Dijk will need to maintain the level of performance that he struck against Tottenham, commanding against the home side's pesky frontline.
In the thick of the action after international teammate Xavi Simons committed a studs-up challenge and got sent off before half-time, the 34-year-old avoided injury as so many of his teammates dropped like flies.
He was awarded an 8/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo, with praise drawn to his aerial dominance and quality on the ball, notably winning 11 of 13 contested duels and completing 94% of his passes.
Isak and Ekitike both took their chances, but Van Dijk came up trumps as the focal point of a backline that has left so much to be desired this season, simply incapable of mustering the kind of cool control needed to match or even come close to the feats of last year.
There was much to dislike about Liverpool's performance against the nine-man Lilywhites, but the important thing right now is to get points on the board, and Van Dijk's steely form is proving instrumental in getting the side back on track.
If Liverpool are to make something of this season, they will need Van Dijk on his A-game, performing as he did down N17, a throwback to his imperious best.