Diogo Jota was hailed as "unstoppable" after the Liverpool forward fired the Premier League title hopefuls to a 2-0 win over Leicester City.
Former Wolves man Jota scored both goals at Anfield to take his tally for the season to 17 goals across all competitions, his best haul for a season in England.
Liverpool drew nine saves from Kasper Schmeichel, a total only surpassed twice by a goalkeeper in the English top flight this season, with the Dane keeping Leicester in the game until Jota scored his second late on.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said Jota, a big-money arrival from Wolves 18 months ago, is becoming the clinical finisher he always had the potential to become.
"We had the sense it could happen," said a delighted Klopp.
Looking at Liverpool's performance, Klopp said: "It was not the best game we ever played, but it was enough for us to be the deserved winners tonight."
There was much to enjoy, with Mohamed Salah making a sharp 30-minute cameo off the bench four days after experiencing Africa Cup of Nations final disappointment with Egypt.
Salah could have scored a hat-trick, hitting the crossbar and drawing fine saves from Schmeichel, while new addition Luis Diaz looked the part on his Premier League debut.
Diaz received a warm ovation when he was substituted late on, having impressed on the left side of Liverpool's three-man attack.
Klopp said it was "a surprise" that the 25-year-old looked so immediately at home, telling BT Sport: "It looks natural in a lot of moments. That's really quick. It was an outstanding game for a first start, it was really impressive. He was involved in so many good football moments."
Liverpool's win moves them to nine points behind Manchester City, with a game in hand on the leaders, but Klopp said: "I don't think they smell our breath already."
Jota has been on the winning side in each of the 16 Premier League home games in which he has found the net (seven for Wolves, nine for Liverpool), and it was his sharpness in the box that undid Leicester.
"I always try to get into those decisive spaces," Jota said. "It's my best [goals haul] so far, and I want to keep adding, keep helping the team."
Jota's efforts delighted team-mate Andy Robertson, who said: "He's unstoppable just now, and when you've got people playing with that confidence we always believe we can score goals.
"We've got competition all over the park. We'll keep putting pressure on each other ... hopefully the results keep on coming."
Robertson also saluted the display from Diaz, with the Colombian showing he can carry the form he showed for Porto into the English game.
"In his first training session I saw him flying about and thought, 'Yeah, he'll be OK here'," said Robertson.
"We just need to let him bed in. He's got the language to hopefully pick up and the way we play, but for his first start I thought he was excellent. To be flying into tackles, that's one way to get the crowd to love you straightaway, and I think they really took to him."
Like Klopp, Robertson is playing down title talk.
"The gap's still too big," said the Reds left-back. "Manchester City are still in the driving seat, but we just need to keep putting pressure on them.
"We're still fighting for four competitions. It's going to be an exciting run-in, hopefully. As long as we keep playing with the confidence we're playing with, I believe we can keep winning."
Luton boss Edwards urges Hatters to keep the faith in Premier League relegation scrap
Rob Edwards urged his Luton Town team and the club's supporters to keep the faith as the Hatters aim to stay in the Premier League.
A 1-1 draw with Everton at home on Friday was not the result Luton truly needed as they look to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.
It moved Luton onto 26 points, level with 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, who face already-relegated Sheffield United on Saturday.
Forest could yet be in to get some of the four points they were deducted for a breach of the Premier League's financial rules back, however, with a decision on their appeal expected to arrive in the coming days.
Edwards hinted at that uncertainty in his comments after the Everton game, as he asked his team to keep going.
He said: "We wanted a win. We threw everything at it. We tried. We were the team pushing right until the end.
"In the end a draw wasn't what we wanted. I'm proud of the players, the club, the supporters. They stayed with us until the end. We tried to do all the right things. We're still in the mix.
"On another day we could have won the game but we didn't. We've got to keep going. We don't have a crystal ball. It might be four points, five, six. It might be enough. We've got to believe it is, [so] we go again."
Luton head to West Ham next week, before hosting Fulham on the final day of the season.
Everton, who took the lead through Dominic Calvert-Lewin's penalty but were pegged back by Elijah Adebayo's strike, were already sure of their Premier League status heading into Friday's match.
Asked if he had a preference on which team out of Forest, Luton and his former club Burnley avoided the drop, Sean Dyche told reporters: "No one cared about us at Everton when we were down there last season, so they will have to fight it out.
"We had to fight it out last season and take care of ourselves, all the clubs will have to fight it out.
"We took care of ourselves again this season with many challenges and I am very proud of that, but it is not for choosing ifs, buts and maybes and sides.
"I have been down there myself and you have to take care of yourself. No one gives you anything, they have all got to fight it out and see who gets the job done.”
Spurs 'need change', says Postecoglou
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has conceded Spurs "need change" after a poor run of form has seen their Champions League hopes fade.
Spurs sit fifth in the Premier League, but a sorry performance against Chelsea in a 2-0 loss on Thursday left them seven points behind Aston Villa.
Tottenham have lost their last three matches, conceding nine goals, though those defeats have come against Newcastle United, Arsenal and Chelsea.
And while Postecoglou has had a promising first season, he stressed the requirement for changes to Spurs' playing squad if they are to settle wholly into his preferred style of play.
"We need change. Change has to happen," Postecoglou said ahead of Sunday's clash with Liverpool.
"We're pivoting to a whole different direction, expecting the same people are going to be in on that... it's just not going to happen.
"We've had two windows and we've had some development of players, for sure, but when I say we've still got a long way to go, that's what I'm talking about.
"We can't be there yet because it's impossible to say you're going to have drastic change and yet expect everyone to be on that journey... whether it's Liverpool or Arsenal, by the time they win the competition or have success, the team's almost unrecognisable."
Richarlison, who enjoyed a rich run of form earlier in the campaign but has not scored since netting twice against his former club Everton in February, is one of the players who Spurs will reportedly listen to offers for in the upcoming transfer window.
After playing Liverpool, Spurs face Burnley and Manchester City before rounding off their campaign against already-relegated Sheffield United.
Terzic will rotate with Champions League qualification secured
Borussia Dortmund can rotate their side for this weekend's game with Augsburg after their win over Paris Saint-Germain in midweek secured Germany a fifth place in next season's Champions League.
Those are the thoughts of coach Edin Terzic ahead of Saturday's home game.
Dortmund are fifth in the Bundesliga, and with a 12-point gap over Eintracht Frankfurt and three games remaining, they are guaranteed a place in the Champions League, and can concentrate on the semi-final second leg against PSG on Tuesday, with a 1-0 advantage.
Terzic told reporters: "Obviously we are thinking about having energy and freshness tomorrow. We will rotate as we have done in the past but we will have a very good team on the pitch tomorrow.
"We will think about freshness. We will also think about giving chances, as there is no huge pressure tomorrow with our minimum goal secured."
Forward Sebastien Haller remained on the bench for the home win against PSG on Wednesday, and will be rested against Augsburg, but others who were involved should make an appearance, even if not for the full game.
"Rotation does not mean someone will not play at all but that you can spilt up participation times," Terzic said.
"We came through Wednesday's game pretty well. Only Sebastien Haller didn't feel well in the warm-up, we won't risk him for tomorrow but he is fine for next week."
Despite there being less pressure, Dortmund should still have plenty of motivation against Augsburg, especially after their 4-1 defeat at RB Leipzig last weekend and with just one win in their last four league games.
"It is a Bundesliga game at home and we have to do a bit better, especially at home. We have one month, and we have to show good performances and tomorrow everyone on the pitch can show how valuable they are for the club," Terzic added.
"If we have to talk about motivating them to play in front of 81,000 in the Bundesliga against Augsburg then we have a problem."
Dortmund are on 57 points, six behind Leipzig, while Augsburg are ninth in the standings on 39 points.
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