Trent Alexander-Arnold crumpled to his knees in sheer exhaustion as, all around him, Leicester City's players were following suit.
Yet while the home players doing so in elation, the Liverpool defender's overriding emotions were despair and frustration as attempts to regain the Premier League title suffered a damaging, unnecessary blow.
Only time will tell how pivotal the Reds' 1-0 defeat at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday could be.
Yes, it was only a second defeat in 37 games for Jurgen Klopp's side. Yes, it was a first match since April in which they have failed to score.
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But with even draws being met with howls of anguish, to suffer such a needless reverse against an injury-hit Leicester has prompted a despondent reaction from supporters that indicates how the relentless standards set by Manchester City and, yes, Liverpool in recent seasons have warped what is now required to win the championship.
Indeed, Liverpool are seven points better off after 19 games than they were last season but, once again, found themselves six points adrift of the leaders, who last term were Manchester United.
The result and performance at Leicester also brought into sharp focus a number of issues that have been niggling away for a while.
For all the criticism aimed at the misfiring attack - which has scored exactly 50 goals in 19 league games this season, the same return as City - Liverpool would have picked up at least a point if it weren't for them conceding to Leicester's only shot on target.
Only twice in the last eight games have the Reds kept a clean sheet. More worrying, though, is how damaging a failure to maintain a shut-out continues to be for their league hopes.
In the nine top-flight games in which Liverpool have conceded this season, only two - at Everton and at home to Newcastle United - have they gone on to win. Five have been drawn - three at home - with the other two ending in defeat.
Then there is the Reds' record against the supposed leading teams.
In games this season against teams that finished in the top eight last term - and only Leicester have fallen outside that at present - Liverpool have taken a mere nine points from seven games.
Only the Foxes and Tottenham Hotspur have taken fewer. That City have, by contrast, earned 19 from eight such fixtures underlines why they are now odds-on favourites to win a fourth title in five years.
In fact, Fred Done of Betfred, never one to miss a publicity opportunity, is already paying out on City being champions.
Then there are the unknowns. Both Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho were uncharacteristically disappointing on Tuesday, and it will perhaps be a long time before there's any possible link between a drop-off in physical performance while recovering from a positive coronavirus test.
But crystal clear is Leicester's victory in such difficult circumstances means there is absolutely no justification for any Premier League club to now seek a postponement.
That was similarly proven last week when Liverpool, missing 10 players, were within their rights to request the the Carabao Cup tie against the Foxes be postponed. Instead, they got on with it, and gained their own reward. After all, what's the point of a club having an Academy if they aren't going to utilise it?
Klopp, meanwhile, will review events at the King Power to ascertain what needs to change ahead of a trip to Chelsea on Sunday his side simply cannot afford to lose.
The imminent loss of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita to the Africa Cup of Nations means the trio could be primed to start at Stamford Bridge, albeit without much surprise for all but the latter.
And the Reds boss will want his players to respond in the same manner as they did following their only other defeat this season at West Ham United at the start of November.
As against Leicester, the setback came after a brief run of unconvincing performances. The reaction, though, saw Liverpool win eight games in a row - six in the Premier League - to drag themselves back into title contention.
But while Klopp and his players had a fortnight to stew over the Hammers loss, there is now no time to feel sorry for themselves. Liverpool simply need to become the relentless Reds once again.
