Liverpool targeted a return to the top of the table, as Naby Keita and Fabinho returned to line-up while Virgil Van Dijk captained the Reds against his former side.
It wasn’t a welcome return though for the Dutchman, as Shane Long tucked behind the defence nine minutes in to lash home the opener.
Liverpool threatened a response on 16 minutes, but Sadio Mane failed to beat Angus Gunn who saved from close-range following Mohamed Salah’s delivery.
Whilst the Saints looked for a second, the Reds got back on level terms 36 minutes in after Keita nodded home from the back post following Trent Alexander-Arnold’s delivery.
A second beckoned three minutes later but after rising to meet Roberto Firmino’s cross, Mane failed to bulge the net before the rbeak.
Liverpool made a double change shortly before the 60th minute mark in Jordan Henderson and James Milner for Alexander-Arnold and Georginio Wijnaldum respectively.
The Saints threw in their first change a minute later, in Josh Sims who replaced Long. With both sides unable to blow each other open out, a certain Egyptian took matters into his own hands.
After retrieving possession, Salah ran through the centre of the pitch in a breakaway sequence to find the bottom corner in the last 10 minutes.
Four minutes later, Henderson capped off the evening with an easy tap-in following Firmino’s low cross from an unguarded position as the Reds moved two points clear of Manchester City at the top.
