Anfield was alive with fervour as Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League following a thrilling 2-1 victory against Chelsea.

And star midfield duo Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai noted as much, expressing their admiration for the Kop's passion. Enzo Maresca's men left Anfield with their first away loss this season courtesy of strikes from Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones.

The vibrant echo of the Liverpool faithful had been under a microscope after the Reds' unexpected falter against Nottingham Forest back in September. But Sunday painted a different picture, prompting the midfield partners to take to Instagram with their plaudits.

"Three important points and amazing atmosphere," penned an elated Mac Allister, as Szoboszlai proclaimed, "The Anfield spirit is back."

Manager Arne Slot too added his voice, recognising the fans' undeniably pivotal support by stating at the final whistle: "They were really important for us."

He mentioned a saying from his previous club about the psychological impact of the home crowd on referees: "I don't know if this is something they say in England but they said it at my former club, which was also an impressive stadium, the referees are a bit impressed by the crowd and that's why you get the easy decisions in your favour.

"But today showed that no matter how loud the fans were, the referee just wanted to show that he was able not to make the decisions he had to make. So it didn't help us with the referee, but it definitely helped our players because they had to work so hard."

"And every time they cheer so hard for if you make a block tackle, or Darwin [Nunez] sprints back, or any of these moments, that definitely helps you mentally."

"So they were really important for us, for our players, but unfortunately it didn't happen in the way people think Anfield gives you the easy penalties."