The Uruguayan, who perhaps should've been sent off, helped make the difference as the Reds got the job done to pull further clear at the top
Liverpool continued their stroll towards the Premier League title as they came from behind against Southampton to claim a 3-1 win and open up a 16-point lead at the summit.
The Reds were dominating possession but struggling to find a way through the visitors' resolute low block, and Arne Slot's side were punished in first-half stoppage time. A horrible mix-up between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson saw the Dutchman fail in his attempt to shield the ball as it rolled back towards his goalkeeper, with Will Smallbone capitalising as he nipped in and slotted home.
It almost went from bad to worse for the hosts – Darwin Nunez fortunate to escape a red card for mindlessly kicking Kyle Walker-Peters to the ground, long after the Saints full-back had raced past him.
Slot, watching on from the stands as he continued to serve his touchline ban, had seen enough and made three changes at half-time, with the substitutions helping his team wake up in the second 45. Hero from midweek Harvey Elliott forced Aaron Ramsdale into a save almost immediately after the restart, before Nunez slotted home at the near post to make it 1-1 after 51 minutes.
And the Uruguayan would have a crucial part to play in Liverpool's second goal as well, this time earning the penalty as Smallbone clumsily fouled him in the box. Salah made no mistake from the spot, arrowing the ball beyond Ramsdale's reach and into the net.
Southampton were a beaten force as the second half progressed and Salah put the icing on the cake as he smashed home his second penalty of the game following Yukinari Sugawara's blatant handball, with the Reds seeing out the remainder of the game to extend their lead at the top.
GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…
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Alisson (6/10):
Perhaps unlucky not to have earned a free-kick for his part in the mix-up with Van Dijk – an incident that was more the Dutchman's fault than his own.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (7/10):
Got forward at will to support Salah and played some delightful long passes, including one half-volley that sliced through the Southampton backline and set the Egyptian on his way.
Ibrahima Konate (6/10):
A pretty comfortable afternoon for Konate, with Gronbaek unable to hit the target on the one occasion he did manage to run in behind the Frenchman.
Virgil van Dijk (4/10):
Was cruising through the game until the uncharacteristic error that allowed Smallbone to score. Why he didn't just clear it remains a mystery.
Kostas Tsimikas (5/10):
Tenacious and looked eager to take his chance but Slot clearly didn't like something he saw, with Tsimikas, who had been booked, one of those to pay the price by being subbed off at the interval.
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Dominik Szoboszlai (5/10):
A quiet first half that bypassed him somewhat and he did most of his good work in defensive areas, which says it all. Hooked at half-time.
Ryan Gravenberch (7/10):
Sharp. Broke up play effectively and then got things moving forward quickly. One slaloming run was eventually blocked to stop him scoring one of the goals of the season.
Curtis Jones (5/10):
Scuffed an early shot wide and as much as he worked hard tracking back, he had little impact on the game as Liverpool struggled to find a way through. Another to be withdrawn at half-time.
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Mohamed Salah (8/10):
Was being well marshalled by Manning in the first half but he effortlessly smacked home both his penalties in the second, giving Ramsdale absolutely no chance on both occasions. Deadly.
Darwin Nunez (7/10):
Bagged the equaliser with a smart run and first-time finish and then earned the penalty for 2-1. That all said, he loses a mark for stupidly kicking Walker-Peters in the first half, an incident that could've easily seen him red carded.
Luis Diaz (7/10):
One wild shot that he sliced a mile wide summed up an ineffective first half but he came to life in the second 45, setting up Nunez for Liverpool's first goal after a rampaging run down the left and then putting pressure on Sugawara to force the second spot-kick.
AFPSubs & Manager
Alexis Mac Allister (7/10):
One of those to make a difference after his introduction at half-time, controlling things in the middle of the pitch and orchestrating a lot of attacks.
Harvey Elliott (6/10):
Almost made an instant impact as he forced a smart save from Ramsdale. A positive cameo, though, if not quite the same heroics as in Paris the other night.
Andrew Robertson (6/10):
You could tell the crowd was more at ease when Robertson was introduced for Tsimikas and he got forward far more than what the Greece international had managed.
Diogo Jota (5/10):
Didn't really get into the game after coming on for Nunez.
Wataru Endo (N/A):
Replaced Gravenberch for the final 10 minutes.
Arne Slot (7/10):
Served the final game of his touchline ban and although there were one or two uncomfortable moments, his ruthless half-time changes helped spark Liverpool into life and ensure his side avoided unnecessarily dropping any points at home.