It has taken until the end of February and a week before Shrove Tuesday, but finally the race for the 2018-19 Premier League title is a two-horse affair.
After 180 goalless minutes against Bayern Munich and Manchester United, Liverpool surged back to their attacking best with five goals against Watford.
Battered and bruised from 120 gruelling minutes in the Carabao Cup final, Manchester City escaped from the visit of West Ham with three points thanks to a Sergio Aguero penalty.
Liverpool maintained their one-point lead at the top of the Premier League on Wednesday
Manchester City squeezed past West Ham to keep pace with the league leaders
Tottenham's challenge may have gone up in smoke after back-to-back league defeats
And at Stamford Bridge Tottenham's challenge finally appeared to subside, a comical Kieran Trippier own goal condemning them to a second defeat in a row, leaving them nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool with 10 games to play.
After returning to the summit on Sunday it was a must-win game for Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, if only to arrest a run of form that had produced three wins in nine in 2019.
Liverpool responded in style. 'That was no fun at all. It were dog***t...', mused Ben Foster afterwards.
The evening began with some alarm as Jurgen Klopp named a reshuffled front three for just the fourth time in the league this season.
Surprisingly Sadio Mane began through the middle, with Divock Origi - a replacement for the injured Roberto Firmino - moving to the left.
'It was our first idea', said Klopp. 'We needed someone who can work in small spaces, give you something in behind and with pace.
'Sadio has played many positions in his career - for us too - so we knew he could do it well.'
Sadio Mane backheels the ball past the stranded Ben Foster for his and Liverpool's second
The Senegalese started in the middle of a front three with Divock Origi on the left-hand side
Origi made the most of a rare start for Liverpool by scoring their third in the second-half
And so it proved. The Senegalese continued his rich run of form to head the Reds into an early lead and doubled his tally with a sensational back-heeled finish from 12 yards out - a goal more likely to grace a five-a-side Powerleague match than Anfield.
March 3: Everton A
March 10: Burnley H
March 17: Fulham A
March 31: Tottenham H
April 5: Southampton A
He now has six goals in his last six league games.
The returning Trent Alexander-Arnold was instrumental, providing both goals for Mane and the fourth for Virgil van Dijk.
He showcased the wonders of a right-back who can produce a pinpoint delivery, after James Milner's struggles at Old Trafford at the weekend.
Origi made the most of his opportunity, putting in a lively shift and firing home their third of the night.
After conceding five in their previous three, Liverpool have now registered four clean sheets in a row. The base upon which their title tilt has been built is returning.
'You look at one loss in 28 they've played all their main rivals away from home already, and the way they dispatched Watford today was quite comprehensive.
'I feel like my money's safe. Not a lot, 40 pence or something, but it's a run for my money I'm getting', said Ian Wright on Match of the Day.
Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez sees an effort on goal saved by Lukasz Fabianski
It proved a frustrating opening 45 minutes for the champions at the Etihad Stadium
