Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted that his side deserved their 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, despite surviving a couple of late scares in North London.
Son Heung-min and Giovani Lo Celso both missed golden opportunities late on as Roberto Firmino's first-half strike proved decisive, with Liverpool holding out for a sixth successive clean sheet and a 20th win from 21 matches this season.
Klopp acknowledged that his side needed a slice of luck to keep their lead intact, but also pointed out that they could have wrapped the game up earlier had they taken their own chances during a dominant first half.
"We had to play for it and in the end we had to fight for it. We could have closed this game earlier - we should have, I would say. The chances were clear, and we had moments where we didn't even make chances but I would say usually they would have to be 100% chances," Klopp told reporters at his post-match press conference.
"We played some exceptional football to bring Robbo (Andrew Robertson) on the touchline and then we didn't find a free player, or a defender blocks it. We could have done better in these moments, but then it was only 1-0, and against a team like Tottenham it is never decided.
"In the end we needed luck in one situation and Ali (Alisson Becker) in two or three other situations, but until 72, 73 minutes we had 77-80% possession. It's a big challenge to come here and have that amount of possession knowing about the counter-attacking qualities of these players.
"It was intense, but I think we deserved the three points. It was not our best game we've played so far, but it was a very good one and there was really good football in a lot of parts of the game and, in the end, a lot of fight."
Liverpool have now stayed unbeaten for the equivalent of a full 38-game Premier League season, picking up a record 104 points during that time.
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