Liverpool 'showed they are in this title race' during Premier League defeat to Tottenham that was tinged with VAR controversy

• Reds lose after VAR blunder
• Murphy says Liverpool still title contenders
• City defeat means no ground lost

WHAT HAPPENED? The Match of the Day pundit believes the nature of the Reds' performance in a game where a number of calls went against them – including the bungled decision to disallow Luis Diaz's first-half goal – marks them out as genuine contenders for the Premier League title.

WHAT THEY SAID: In his column in The Mail On Sunday, Murphy said: "Even in defeat, Liverpool showed they are in this title race. To show the resilience to compete against Spurs with 10 and then nine men, and even create chances to win it, should give them enormous belief.

"Once the dust has settled, it was a phenomenal effort. Sometimes you can take more from a loss than an easy win, and Liverpool have repeatedly shown this season they are fighters."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Murphy went on to cite the return to form of captain Virgil van Dijk as another encouraging sign for Liverpool. While the loss and the crazy nature of the defeat will certainly sting in the short term, Murphy is right to point to a performance in adversity that will encourage Reds fans. With Manchester City slumping to a shock loss against Wolves and showing some flaws in the process, there's still much to play for in the title race this season.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL? Liverpool have a chance to put yesterday's events behind them when they host Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League on Thursday night before a trip to Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday.