Liverpool can count themselves fortunate to have left the City Ground with all three points after a late 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The Reds suffered a huge blow just minutes before kick-off as Florian Wirtz revealed a back issue in the warm-up that took him out of the starting XI.
The Germany international was replaced by Curtis Jones in the No.10 role, with the Englishman's preferred role usually a deeper-lying midfielder.
As the Merseyside outfit secured a 97th-minute through Alexis Mac Allister, it didn't mask the fact that Liverpool were far from their best and lacked a lot of creativity in Wirtz's absence.
But along with the 22-year-old, it was his young teammate Rio Ngumoha who was another secret winner in a toothless display from the visitors.
Liverpool's Usual Suspects Let Them Down
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah clapping
In the absence of Wirtz against Vitor Pereira's men, it was clear that Arne Slot needed his front three to step up and make the difference in the final third.
It never really happened for Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo or Hugo Ekitike though, and Liverpool were extremely fortunate not to find themselves behind at the break at the City Ground.
The game appeared to be heading to a goalless draw, which was far from ideal for Slot's side as they look to hunt down Manchester United and Chelsea in the battle for the final Champions League spot in the Premier League table.
However, they did find a breakthrough with one of the last kicks of the game, as Mac Allister found the net just minutes after having another goal disallowed for handball.
Ngumoha replaced Salah in the 77th minute of the game, and he made an instant impact after playing a big part in Mac Allister's disallowed goal.
Ngumoha Deserves More Liverpool Opportunites
Ngumoha
Since scoring the winner just one minute after coming on against Newcastle United back in August, Ngumoha's Premier League minutes since then have been limited to just 89 minutes.
The 17-year-old has largely been an unused substitute this term, which is understandable given his age, but cameos like his one against Forest suggest he should be more involved in the final weeks of the campaign given the spark he can provide.
It is a sentiment shared by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who says the teenager did more in 15 minutes than Gakpo and Salah did in the whole game and deserves to be starting, while Rio Ferdinand labelled him as 'top drawer' when posting on X on Sunday.
With upcoming matches against 18th-placed West Ham United and rock-bottom Wolves in the league and the FA Cup that look good on paper, Ngumoha has just laid down a big marker that he can make the difference for Liverpool when his more senior teammates fail to show up.
Liverpool's Florian Wirtz rubs his head. Related
Florian Wirtz Expected Return Date After Liverpool Injury Confirmed
The Germany international was a late absentee for the Premier League game