Steven Gerrard's return to Anfield ended in defeat as Liverpool edged Aston Villa 1-0 on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds, once again not at their clinical best, dug deep and found a way to break down a resilient Villa side led by their former captain.
Mohamed Salah's 67th minute penalty was the difference on the day as Jurgen Klopp's side maintained a firm grip in the title race.
Here's what the national media made of the result.
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'No happy homecoming for Steven Gerrard'
Melissa Reddy, The Independent
"There was no happy homecoming for Steven Gerrard, no “celebrating like a crazy devil”, no narratives feeding into future ambitions.
"The task was not to make it easy for Liverpool, but Gerrard’s men didn’t figure it would be this hard to conjure threat of their own.
"There were seven minutes on the clock when Liverpool supporters serenaded Gerrard for the first time of the afternoon.
"They did so after the final whistle again, but the hometown hero exited Anfield with nothing to sing about."
'Mohamed Salah spoiled Steven Gerrard’s Anfield return'
Andy Hunter, The Guardian
"An emotional day for one Liverpool legend was settled by the cold, calculating precision of another.
"Mohamed Salah spoiled Steven Gerrard’s Anfield return with a nerveless penalty to keep Jürgen Klopp’s team within a point of the Premier League summit and leave the Aston Villa manager with plenty to regret.
"Gerrard, heralded by the Kop during and after the second defeat of his brief Villa reign, bemoaned Stuart Attwell’s decision to award the decisive spot-kick and to refuse one to the visitors following Alisson’s rush of blood four minutes from time.
"But, with typical honesty, there was recognition of his former club’s superiority for much of an absorbing battle and of how things might have altered with earlier ambition on his part."
'For the first time in his life, Gerrard was at Anfield to try to beat Liverpool'
Oliver Holt, Daily Mail
"For the first time in his life, Gerrard was at Anfield to try to beat Liverpool. He was here to try to get a result for Aston Villa, his new team, where he has made such a good start in the weeks he has been in charge.
"Gradually, the emotion of the return was overtaken by the rhythm of the match. This is a better Liverpool team than any of the ones Gerrard played for.
"Liverpool stepped up the pressure and midway through the half, Villa finally cracked. Salah ran at Tyrone Mings in the Villa box and as the pair jostled for possession, their feet tangled and referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot.
"Salah rose from the turf and lashed the penalty low to the right of Martinez. The Villa keeper guessed the right way but could not stop it."
'The hero of Anfield is no longer a Scouser from Huyton'
Jonathan Northcroft, The Sunday Times
"This was supposed to be all about Steven Gerrard but in sport the present always holds sway over the past.
"The hero of Anfield is no longer a Scouser from Huyton but a regal talent from a village in the Nile Delta. Football moves on. And this game, in fact this season for Liverpool, was all about Mo Salah.
"It was not one of the Egyptian’s more spectacular 90 minutes but he was still, by quite a distance, the most potent, penetrative and creative force in an otherwise rugged battle.
"And when his moment came he was decisive, converting after Tyrone Mings, worn down by 67 minutes of desperate defensive effort, conceded a penalty with a fatigued challenge."
