This simply isn't true, unless you discount points won and league position.
Here's the Spurs v Liverpool Premier League season broken down into chunks of 5 (note - at matchday 35, Spurs had a game in hand):
Matchday Spurs Liverpool +/-
[TR1][TD1]5[/TD1][TD1]8[/TD1][TD1]8[/TD1][TD]=[/TD][/TR1]
[TR2][TD1]10[/TD1][TD1]20[/TD1][TD1]16[/TD1][TD]+4[/TD][/TR2]
[TR1][TD1]15[/TD1][TD1]25[/TD1][TD1]29[/TD1][TD]-4[/TD][/TR1]
[TR2][TD1]20[/TD1][TD1]37[/TD1][TD1]38[/TD1][TD]-1[/TD][/TR2]
[TR1][TD1]25[/TD1][TD1]48[/TD1][TD1]50[/TD1][TD]-2[/TD][/TR1]
[TR2][TD1]30[/TD1][TD1]61[/TD1][TD1]60[/TD1][TD]+1[/TD][/TR2]
[TR1][TD1]35[/TD1][TD1]68[/TD1][TD1]71[/TD1][TD]-3[/TD][/TR1]
[TR2][TD1]38[/TD1][TD1]77[/TD1][TD1]75[/TD1][TD]+2[/TD][/TR2]
So, the trend for much of the season was actually us closing on Liverpool after matchday 15.
The CL run cost Liverpool a whole host of points in the latter part of the season. The had enough of a gap to fifth to rest and rotate players before and after CL games. They had a better season than us. They got to a CL final. No-one apart from us gives a shit we beat Madrid in the group stages. The knockout games are what stays in the memory.