As they chased down Manchester City in the hunt for the silverware that could bring them a historic quadruple, the players were ordered by their manager to be as annoying as possible.
At one point, the title race looked to be turning into a procession for City as they were being played on by the Reds.
They were able to get under the skin of City and receive a boost in their pursuit of history with a 3-2 win in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
If this is reaching a defining phase that almost every incident is forensically investigated to decipher who holds the psychological advantage, this was definitely a strike to the Reds.
Not a decisive one. Even though they are still in the lead in the title race, City are too good to be knocked out of the European Championship by Real Madrid.
City will not be derailed by a single setback and the team selection suggested that the FA Cup was not on the priority list, but they will use this to bolster their own efforts.
The first 45 minutes of the game between the two teams should strengthen the belief that City can be beaten in the league and that the Carabao Cup can be won.
There is no escaping reality and there must surely be a feeling inside the camp that the impossible may be possible.
City will be the most formidable obstacle with title ambitions of their own and that elusive first European trophy coming tantalisingly into view. Europe has two outstanding sides.
If the 2-2 draw at Manchester City six days before this Wembley meeting set the stage for the climax of the season, then this semi-final triumph can be counted as the first blood for the Reds.
If that draw was a game of fine margins when two top-class sides simply could not be separated, here the Reds overwhelmed City in a first 45 minutes that effectively won the game, no matter that City improved after the break.
The physical power and sharpness of the Reds was too much for the City. As Ibrahima Konate brushed aside all challenges to head the first, Sadio Mane pounced on an Ederson-like calamity from the FA Cup keeper, to confirm their superiority.
City looked lost and leggy, and the advantage that was given to them by the first half was decisive despite City scoring twice in the second half.
The trademark fist pump was visible as the team reached their first FA Cup final in a decade.
With most of the team fit and showing their range of attacking options, it's easy to see why they're in a great position.
They will feel they have a good chance of winning all four of the trophies they are challenging for, and if this defeat dents City's confidence then so much the better for the Reds.
The team-sheet will be welcomed in the dressing room before the game. Kevin de Bruyne was only fit for the bench and never risked after he was injured in the game.
Kyle Walker and Aymeric Laporte were both victims of expensive progress in Spain, as was Ruben Dias. Fernandinho, who is leaving at the end of the season, was thrust into a thankless task in the middle.
The most significant choice was the loyalty of the coach to his goalkeeper, who was chosen ahead of Ederson and paid the price for that poor impression of the Brazilian.
Even if they lose toLiverpool, they will not see this as having a huge impact on their title and European tilt.
The selection came after a tough test. The option to rest several players against the less physically intimidating and dangerous Benfica with a healthy first-leg lead will be pointed out.
It won't make up for the fact that it wasn't a good choice, but it will make up for the fact that he was focused on the bigger picture.
It was a close one and the psychological advantage for the Reds was at least a few days.
Those small margins are back in the sights of the Premier League and the Champions League.
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