After the elation of a last-gasp victory subsides, anxiety always sets in.
It is simultaneously the best and worst way to win a football match; the proximity to disaster making salvation all the more enjoyable.
But the nail-biting minutes preceding the decisive goal aren’t the end of the pain, as Liverpool supporters are discovering this week.
And that is because all the talk of resilience and fate in the aftermath of the final whistle of a 2-1 success against Tottenham has since made way for apprehension.
Had you asked any fan inside at Anfield at full-time on Sunday whether they believed the Reds could go on and win the Premier League, there would have been few dissenters.
However, 48 hours on from the euphoria of a somewhat fortunate three points, enough time has passed for bloody-minded certainty to give way to niggling doubts.
Namely, can Liverpool reach their holy grail playing like this?
It doesn’t feel like the performances that earned wins over Fulham and Spurs either side of the international break are sustainable for a team with such lofty ambitions.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were impressive in patches in both fixtures, of course, but that would also be a fair summary of their form during the four-match winning streak that has followed a run of five draws in seven outings.
Generally speaking, elite-level managers recognise the importance of good performances over results given that the former tends to guarantee the latter over the course of a season.
And, while that high-minded approach goes out of the window at this stage of a campaign, Klopp is sure to want more from his players in the next six weeks.
As is the case every week, the German will speak to his coaches and the club’s analysis team at Melwood in the next few days in order to try and pinpoint areas where improvement can be found.
But, with the potential to end a 29-year title drought at stake, these meetings will rarely have felt so crucial.
Fortunately, Klopp and his team are looking to implement these marginal gains with Liverpool out in front and full of confidence thanks to their dramatic win over Spurs.
The manager will no doubt remember the effect of the Reds’ similarly stirring win over Everton back in December - that victory kick-starting a run of eight straight wins, all of them convincing.
If the Reds do the same again, the likelihood is that they will be holding the Premier League trophy aloft at Anfield in the May sunshine.
And there can be no better incentive than that for finding their best form ahead of Friday’s trip to Southampton.
