Hendo: We refused to yield against Spurs
Jordan Henderson has praised the manner in which Liverpool kept their composure to pick up a vital victory after twice being pegged back by Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Tuesday night.
The Reds emerged with a priceless three points from an encounter which was played out at breakneck pace from the first whistle under the floodlights in L4.
Mario Balotelli's first Barclays Premier League goal for the club proved decisive, as the substitute latched onto Adam Lallana's pinpoint pass to clinch the win with seven minutes remaining.
Afterwards, Henderson spoke of the confidence coursing through the squad, as he hailed the team's resilience against a Spurs side who will continue to vie with the Reds for a top-four finish this season.
"It was a very important game for us, we deserved to win," he told BT Sport following the final whistle at Anfield. "We're picking up a bit of momentum, we're playing some great stuff.
"I thought we showed great character tonight. Going in front and them coming back into the game - but we stuck at it and got the three points, which is vitally important for us.
"We always feel as though we can beat anyone if we keep playing the way we have been, we've got some fantastic players here, so we have to keep working hard on the training field and get results like that."
Lazar Markovic fired Liverpool ahead in front of the Kop, but Harry Kane brought a run of four consecutive clean sheets in the league to an abrupt end when he silenced Anfield by firing beyond Simon Mignolet.
Steven Gerrard kept his calm from the penalty spot after Daniel Sturridge was brought down in the box, but once again, Spurs came roaring back into the game, Moussa Dembele netting to level the scores.
Then, in the 83rd minute, Balotelli intervened, capping an intricate move which saw Jordon Ibe release Lallana, who served up a perfect assist for the Italian to claim his third goal for the club.
"When he came on, he worked hard and got the goal and the three points for the team," said Henderson of Balotelli's display.
"We've got momentum, we've been playing some great stuff. We showed great character tonight, stuck at it and got three points at the end."