Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp paid tribute to his side's "exceptional" performance in their 1-0 win over West Ham United at Anfield.
The Reds were aiming to keep the momentum going from their narrow victory over champions Manchester City and went ahead in the 22nd minute through Darwin Nunez's header.
The Uruguayan was a constant threat in the final third during the opening stages, also striking the post and forcing saves out of Lukasz Fabianski in the West Ham goal.
However, David Moyes's side did not give up the ghost and had the chance to draw level through a Jarrod Bowen penalty just before the break, but Alisson Becker guessed correctly and saved well.
A combination of the Brazilian goalkeeper and James Milner also kept Tomas Soucek's late effort out, but Klopp was nevertheless overjoyed with what he saw on Wednesday evening.
"I think the first half was a really good first half, with a bad ending for us with the penalty... but then with a good ending because Ali could save the penalty," Klopp said. "It still left a bit of a bad taste like we were lucky, but first half we were not - we played an exceptional game.
"We played really good football, we created, we scored a wonderful goal, hit the post, Fabianski with great saves and big blocks in the decisive areas from West Ham, but we didn't play that well in the second half, so that's why the game opened up.
"In the end, we needed Ali, we needed Millie's big toe and we needed a couple of things. Overall, I think it is a deserved three points."
Nunez's downward header marked his first goal at Anfield since joining from Benfica for an initial £64m in the summer, although he was then surprisingly taken off with just 57 minutes gone.
Explaining his decision to withdraw the 23-year-old, Klopp revealed that he had been nursing some muscular tightness at half time and was not prepared to risk adding to his already lengthy injury list.
"It is important. He has scored now a couple of times in the last few games. He arrived 100 per cent, now even with numbers, which is fine," Klopp said of Nunez.
"He felt a little bit the muscles at half-time but it was all fine and after five minutes [of the second half] I was just a bit concerned about long sprints for him and balls where he stretches his legs.
"I thought, 'Come on, we cannot take that risk' and that's why we changed. No [it is not a concern], I think we caught it at the right moment."
Liverpool have risen above Brighton & Hove Albion into seventh in the Premier League table following Wednesday's win, and four points separates them from Chelsea in the final Champions League spot.
A trip to 19th-placed Nottingham Forest now awaits Liverpool on Saturday as they aim to record a third successive win in the English top flight. body check tags ::
