Jurgen Klopp was an angry man on Sunday after Liverpool 's title ambitions suffered a heavy blow in a game they didn't want to play.
Amidst the rising number of Covid-19 cases that have gripped the country, Premier League fixtures seemed to fall one by one last week.
Just four remained by the time Arsenal kicked off the weekend's action against Leeds United on Saturday evening - with Liverpool's clash with Tottenham one of the few survivors.
But although they were deemed okay to make the trip to north London to face Antonio Conte 's side, they didn't head back to Merseyside unscathed.
Although falling further behind Manchester City is a blow, it wasn't the biggest one to rock the Reds this weekend
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Andy Robertson went from hero to zero in north London after he was sent off just minutes after nodding Liverpool into a 2-1 lead.
His dismissal for taking a wild swipe at Emerson Royal means the Scot won't feature again for Klopp's side until 2022.
And his absence during a frenetic festive period is likely to prove far more damaging to Liverpool's title bid than failing to come out on top against Conte's side, who fought back to snatch a well-earned point in an enthralling 2-2 draw.
Robertson has been nothing short of phenomenal in recent weeks.
There had been some fans who were clamouring for the 27-year-old's understudy, Kostas Tsimikas, to be given a run in the team following Robertson's subdued start to the season.
But the flying full-back has silenced his critics and quashed any talk of his place in Klopp's team being at risk with a string of swash-buckling displays in recent weeks.
Robertson's return to form has flown under the radar due to the brilliance of his number on the opposite flank, Trent Alexander-Arnold.
That's understandable given Alexander-Arnold's outrageous returns. And it's not exactly something new - both have been consistently excellent for Liverpool in recent years, but it's Alexander-Arnold who picks up the majority of the plaudits.
But Robertson has outdone his Anfield colleague over the past month; his tally of four assists and a goal before his dismissal against Spurs exceeds Alexander-Arnold's tally of two assists and a solitary goal.
Unfortunately for Robertson, and Klopp, his revival tour has been cut short by his disciplinary lapse in Sunday's pulsating clash.
As aggrieved as Klopp may be over referee Paul Tierney's failure to dismiss Harry Kane for a similarly wild challenge, there can be few complaints over the decision to give Robertson his marching orders.
And it's his absence over the next three games that hand Manchester City a further boost in their bid to regain their Premier League crown after they ensured they'd top the charts at Christmas with an emphatic 4-0 win over Newcastle.
Tsimikas has already proved that he's a more-than-capable deputy for Robertson after impressing during his short stint in the side earlier in the season.
But there's a reason that Klopp failed to entertain the idea of dropping Robertson for the Greek international when others were clamouring for it just a few months ago.
Tsimikas won't provide the same attacking dynamism that Robertson brings down that left-flank. And given that the width and attacking impetus that he and Alexander-Arnold provide are such a key element to Klopp's heavy metal football, the Reds will suffer without Robertson more than they perhaps would with anyone else in the team right now.
His absence could hardly come at a worse time, too, given the hectic festive schedule that lies ahead.
And that could prove terminal to Liverpool's hopes of overthrowing Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in the race for the Premier League crown.
