It was always going to be a tricky period to negotiate: Tottenham, Leicester and Chelsea away over the space of two weeks, in a Premier League title race where any slip-up brings a seismic shift in momentum.
Whack some Covid-related absences into the mix too - as well as the immediate issues 2022 will bring - and in the space of 10 days, Liverpool's pursuit of Manchester CIty is on the verge of going up in flames.
A draw at Spurs, with some questionable refereeing decisions thrown into the mix, was far from disastrous.