Mohamed Salah took his Premier League tally to nine goals for the season as Liverpool earned a straightforward 3-0 win over Southampton at Anfield.
The Egyptian winger netted twice in the opening 45 minutes, first curling past Fraser Forster from 25 yards and then converting from close range when played through by Philippe Coutinho.
Fifth-place Liverpool added a third in the second half, with Coutinho tucking home after Roberto Firmino had a shot well saved by Forster.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield. The Reds are seeking a third top-flight win in succession for the first time this calendar year, as they continue to hunt down a place in the top four, while the visitors need to find some stable footing after a mixed 2017-18 thus far.
Arsenal lead Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the day's early kickoff, so we could well see some movement in the top four come the end of play this evening. Updates from that one at full time, but for now let us turn attention to events at Anfield, where Liverpool are strong favourites to continue their decent run of form by picking up all three points this afternoon. That said, Southampton certainly know how to frustrate the Reds!
LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Mignolet; Alexander-Arnold, Klavan, Lovren, Moreno; Henderson, Wijnaldum, Coutinho; Mane, Salah, Firmino
SUBS: Karius, Milner, Gomez, Sturridge, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Can, Solanke
The big news as far as the hosts are concerned is that Sadio Mane, formerly of Southampton, has been declared fit to start. The speedy forward picked up a minor hamstring injury on international duty with Senegal that had boss Jurgen Klopp "worried", but he has managed to shake off the knock in time to feature from the off at Anfield today. Skipper Jordan Henderson also makes a welcome return in the engine room, where he will link up with Georginio Wijnaldum.
Somewhat surprisingly, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dejan Lovren are also handed starting spot in defence, meaning that senior England international - impressive on his Three Lions bow - has to settle for a place among the subs. Lovren will partner Ragnar Klavan in the heart of the Reds' defence, as Joel Matip misses out on selection entirely this afternoon with a minor knock sustained earlier in the week.
Liverpool remain without Adam Lallana for the time being, despite Klopp being confident that the England international - absent since pre-season - would be fit enough to play some part from the bench today. Plenty of other midfield options, however, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - among the XI last time out - starting to find his feet, while James Milner and Emre Can may also play some part. Salah, who has seven goals in 11 league outings since arriving, starts alongside Roberto Firmino and Mane in the frontline.
SOUTHAMPTON TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Forster; Cedric, Van Dijk, Hoedt, Bertrand; Romeu, Davis; Redmond, Boufal, Tadic; Long
SUBS: McCarthy, Yoshida, Targett, Hojbjerg, Ward-Prowse, Gabbiadini, Austin
Visiting boss Mauricio Pellegrino, who spent time playing and coaching at Anfield earlier in his career, has opted to make two changes on the back of the 1-0 defeat to Burnley a fortnight ago. Wesley Hoedt replaces Maya Yoshida in the backline, with Liverpool target Virgil van Dijk alongside him, while Shane Long is preferred to Manolo Gabbiadini at the opposite end of the field. The Republic of Ireland international remains without a goal since February - some 30 games ago!
The core of this Saints side pretty much picks itself as Dusan Tadic, Sofiane Boufal and Nathan Redmond line up in a three-man attacking midfield just off the returning Long. Redmond is one of many players in the side yet to truly get going this term, having had 27 attempts at goal without actually finding a way through - only Tom Ince of Huddersfield Town has fared as badly. Will today be the day that his, and perhaps even teammate Long's, barren run ends?
Summer signing Mario Lemina remains absent from the matchday squad, meanwhile, nearly a month after picking up an injury in training. Jeremy Pied is another absentee for the time being, meaning that Oriol Romeu and Steven Davis continue to man the defence which, as touched upon a little earlier, contains a certain Virgil van Dijk. Unless you have been living in a cave you will know all about the Dutchman's failed move to Anfield in the summer but, if recent reports are to be believed, that switch may be back on when the window reopens.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expected to have Adam Lallana among his subs this afternoon, but the English midfielder once again misses out on selection. The Reds do have Sadio Mane among their starters today, however, as he has shaken off a minor injury problem, while Dejan Lovren and Trent Alexander-Arnold are given the nod over Joel Matip and Joe Gomez. Southampton show two changes from last time out, meanwhile - Wesley Hoedt and Shane Long both coming in.
RESULT! The full-time whistle has just sounded at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal have picked up North London bragging rights over Tottenham Hotspur for the first time in three years. Goals from Shkodran Mustafi and Alexis Sanchez in the first half proved the difference in that one, taking the Gunners above Liverpool into fifth place in the current standings. Victory for the Reds, however, and they will be within one point of Spurs.
Plenty of incentive for Klopp's men to pick up the victory, then, as they look to close the gap on the sides above them in what is now looking like being a race for the top four, rather than an outside title challenge - Man City are too far ahead for that, even if we are only 11 games into the term. It has been a mixed opening few months to the season overall for the Reds, which pretty much encapsulates Klopp's tenure as a whole in many ways.
If last season could be deemed a success overall after bagging a rare top-four finish, then Klopp had to follow that up with a similar league position this time around, combined with a trophy. For too long now the Reds have stagnated, almost being seen as also-rans in the title picture, but already they have showed signs of inconsistency in the first few months of 2017-18. Thankfully for their supporters, Klopp appears to have steadied the ship for the time being.
Since going down 4-1 to Tottenham Hotspur last month - very much the nadir of their campaign to date - Liverpool have responded with a couple of league wins on the spin, easing past West Ham by that very same scoreline in their most recent outing. There was also a 3-0 triumph over Huddersfield here, which came about after they dug deep to find a way through, before then coasting over the line for a big victory. Three points today and they can finally boast winning three league matches in a row for the first time this year.
Liverpool have a pretty decent record at Anfield, too, dropping points against only an over-defensive Man United and a well-drilled Burnley side. In fact, going further back, the Reds have tasted defeat just twice in 32 home league fixtures since January 2016, both coming against lesser opposition in Swansea City and Crystal Palace. Only Man United and Man City have scored more than Liverpool's 23 goals home and away, meanwhile, with Salah responsible for seven of those.
Salah could make some Anfield history today, with Robbie Fowler's record of eight goals in 12 matches - the highest tally of any Liverpool player - now within his sights; just one goal being required this afternoon to match that figure. Alongside him is Mane, who netted four in four against the Reds when wearing the red and white stripes of Southampton, while Firmino also knows how to find the net even if his figures have stagnated somewhat of late.
Eighteen goals in their last five matches is quite some record as far as Liverpool are concerned, albeit with seven of those coming in one match, and up the other end of the field they have kept a clean sheet in four of their last six games. the Reds' football has often been described as kamikaze, which if they are winning games is not such a bad thing, but so often their backline has proved their undoing this term - regardless of those overwhelmingly positive stats.
Liverpool could make it four wins in a row in all competitions today, having also overcome Maribor 3-0 in the Champions League here earlier this month to put them top of the Group B standings. Klopp will no doubt have an eye on Tuesday's trip to second-place Sevilla, with a point in that one surely being seen as a positive result, while four days later Chelsea arrive here in the Premier League. This really is a huge week for the Merseyside outfit - anything less than three points today would be a disaster.
DID YOU KNOW? Liverpool may have lost just two of their last 32 home league matches, winning 19 of those, but Jurgen Klopp has the second-lowest win rate of any Reds manager in the Premier League-era, behind only Kenny Dalglish - 1.97 compared to 1.68. The win over Huddersfield Town last time out here was the type of result they need to grind out more often and, with just one goal conceded in their last seven on home soil, they do appear to be on the right track.
Liverpool are seeking a fourth win in succession in all competitions this afternoon, having managed to get their campaign back on track over the last month or so since going down 4-1 to Tottenham Hotspur. The Reds are now sixth in the table following Arsenal's win over Tottenham Hotspur a little earlier, although victory against Southampton at Anfield will take them within a point of the Lilywhites in third. It really is all to play for!
Southampton head to Merseyside sitting thirteenth in the standings, meanwhile, in what is shaping up to be another largely underwhelming campaign. Three wins, four draws and four defeats is what they have to show from their first 11 games under Pellegrino, who played 13 matches for Liverpool and then went on to coach the club for a short spell during Rafael Benitez's time in charge. At this early stage, it is fair to say that the jury is out.
Worryingly for Southampton, though, they have five of last season's top six to play on their travels before the end of the year, while Arsenal - the last of those big boys - visit St Mary's Stadium in a few weeks' time. Those high-profile fixtures may well spark the Saints into life, however, or at least that is what Pellegrino will be hoping, as so far there has not been a great deal of change compared to Claude Puel's solitary season in charge. The Frenchman, it must be remembered, also had a cup run to contend with.
Two wins in 10 games has seen the pressure grow slightly on Pellegrino, who needs a big result in this tough run of away fixtures to kickstart his South Coast reign. Their points tally is identical to this stage last year, in fact, at which point they went on to hold Liverpool to a goalless draw in their 12th fixture. All the parallels are there, suggesting that this could be another campaign of mid-table mediocrity, minus a famous run to the final of the EFL Cup.
Going further back, the Saints have won four of their last 19 Premier League matches - a disappointing record that needs improving on before the year is out, or else they could well find themselves in the relegation mix come the start of 2018. Pellegrino, much like Puel, needs to work on getting the best out of his attacking players; just nine goals have been scored in their opening 11 matches, with three of those coming from the penalty spot. No wonder supporters are growing restless!
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Southampton could go six games unbeaten against Liverpool in all competitions if they avoid defeat this afternoon, with the Reds failing to win or score in all four league and cup ties last term. Not since 1978, against Nottingham Forest, have Liverpool failed to score against a single team in five-succession matches, though it is worth pointing out that the Saints have won on just four of their previous 40 top-flight visits here.
With kickoff at Anfield now less than 10 minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Jurgen Klopp: "I feel really good. I am 50 now - maybe I need to get used to it but I've been twice already in a British hospital. The NHS is not as bad as you think. I am not ill, which is kind of good news. You should not experience as a person in public to go to a hospital - it was not a marketing thing. I had people shouting 'Klopp is in hospital, did you see him?"
Mauricio Pellegrino: "It will be a nice experience for me [to return to Anfield]. I had a really happy time in my career as a player and as a coach at Liverpool. But on Saturday it is a nice opportunity to represent Southampton, and we will try to play well, play a good game and create problems for Liverpool."
Klopp was speaking to reporters on Friday afternoon, a little over 24 hours after being discharged from hospital suffering from a minor illness. The German was back to his jovial best after that short stint in the company of doctors and nurses, and was never likely to miss this match. Klopp knows the importance of keeping this run of momentum going, with key games against Sevilla and Chelsea to come next week.
Pellegrino says that he was "really happy" during his time at Anfield as both a player and coach, but for now all his focus is on pulling off a surprise result on Merseyside. The Spaniard has had a mixed start at St Mary's Stadium since taking charge, although sitting 13th in the Premier League table after 11 games suggests that some of the calls for him to quit at this early stage are perhaps a bit harsh. There is no denying, though, that he needs a big victory to kickstart his return to English football.
The two sides have made their way down the tunnel, with kickoff at Anfield now just moments away. Liverpool with a chance to close in on the top four this afternoon and, depending on results elsewhere, potentially move into a Champions League spot come full time. Southampton are simply focused on moving into the top half of the division for now, meanwhile, having won three, drawn four and lost four of their first 11 fixtures.
KICKOFF! Southampton, in their changed black strip this afternoon, get us up and running at Anfield. The Saints will likely welcome a point if offered to them right now; the onus on Liverpool to break them down, which they failed to do four times last season.
A short stoppage in play inside the opening minute or so at Anfield, as visiting player Tadic appeared to be caught on the leg. The Serbian, tasked with creating chances for his teammates, will likely shake that one off just fine.
Coutinho looks for a first-time ball in behind for Salah to latch on to, but the Egyptian winger - as fast as he is - did not have the pace to get to it first on this occasion. Referee Mike Jones has blown his whistle countless times already.
Mane makes good inroads down the left, but there was no way through as we await the first shooting chance of the contest. Southampton have actually had more of the ball in the opening seven minutes, without doing a great deal with it.
SHOT! First attempt of the afternoon comes via the boot of Liverpool's top-scoring forward Salah, who made contact on the volley following some smart play from Alexander-Arnold, but his shot was dragged with of the target.
Liverpool continue to prove away in search of a first goal against Southampton in five attempts. No way through so far, with Salah coming closest to making a difference, but there is still a long, long way to go in this contest.
Southampton have just enjoyed a period of knocking the ball around at the back, before eventually working it to Forster and up the field. A case of slowly probing away as far as the visitors are concerned, knowing that they will be under the cosh for large parts.
Fifteen minutes have now passed on Merseyside and still Liverpool have yet to get going. Home boss Klopp will not be all that concerned - this is often the case after a couple of weeks away for the international break.
A dangerous delivery into the box from Mane, which Forster did not quite know whether to come for. Southampton did well to clear their lines, while doing likewise the next time the ball came into the box from the opposite flank.
The Saints eventually get the ball up top to Long, who does nothing but give it straight back to the opposition. A key role for the Irishman, tasked with holding the ball up and feeding it to his teammates, but so far he has struggled to do that.
Cedric does well to recover at the expense of a corner, which Van Dijk is there to clear. Almost a quarter of the game played and we have not really seen a serious attempt on goal; Salah coming closest to doing so with his skewed attempt a little earlier.
SAVE! A thumping effort from Wijnaldum forces Forster into making the first save of the contest. Simple enough stop to pull off, but at least the opposition keeper is now being made to work for his money after a quiet start.
Coutinho stands over the free kick from around 27 yards out, which he sends well over the crossbar. A real anti-climax, with Anfield falling silent in the build-up to that effort. Liverpool on top here without finding their attacking groove.
Liverpool starting to rack up the shots, then, come close to finding a breakthrough via a Wijnaldum shot. Pellegrino will be happy enough at this stage, however, as his defenders look solid and on course for another Anfield clean sheet.
Not quite sure how, but Coutinho emerged from a pack of three players with the ball at his feet. The Brazilian looked to thread it through for Salah, but it was cut out before it reached his teammate inside the opposition box.
Hoedt horribly slices the ball behind for a corner, doing enough to prevent the ball from entering a dangerous zone in the box. The Reds starting to step things up now in front of their supporters, desperately going in search of that key opener.
GOAL! LIVERPOOL 1-0 SOUTHAMPTON (MOHAMED SALAH)
Yet another world-class goal from Salah - his eighth goal in 12 Premier League outings for Liverpool, putting him level with legendary striker Robbie Fowler. Tadic gave possession away on the edge of the box, before Salah was given the chance to cut in from the right and curl it past the reach of Forster.
Salah's stunning strike from 25 yards out the difference between the two sides with 10 minutes to go until half time. Liverpool will argue that they deserved that goal, but they had not really created an awful lot prior to the moment of magi.
Boufal tries his best to get Southampton up the field, having been pegged back inside their own half for most of their opening 37 minutes. The attacker does so, but he goes down under a challenge from Alexander-Arnold and no free kick is awarded.
It has actually been a pretty frustrating first half for Liverpool, not helped by some questionable decisions from referee Mike Jones, although they have managed to find the breakthrough goal that they craved and will fancy their chances of finding a second.
GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-0 SOUTHAMPTON (MOHAMED SALAH)
Liverpool at their attacking best for this second goal, as Coutinho plays the ball in behind for Salah to latch on to. In this type of form, the Egyptian winger was never going to miss - it is now nine in 12 for him, making him the Reds' most-prolific ever player after 12 league games.
YELLOW CARD! Pellegrino seriously has to change things around at the break. Southampton as bland as ever this afternoon, offering absolutely nothing in attack - all well and good if you can grind out a goalless draw, not so when conceding a couple. Lovren booked for a strong challenge.
HALF TIME: LIVERPOOL 2-0 SOUTHAMPTON
Ryan Bertrand with Southampton's first serious attempt of the contest, right at the end of the first half. It came from a set piece, as he curled the ball inches wide from 25 yards out. Liverpool by far the better side in the first half, boasting a two-goal lead without truly clicking into gear, and you really would bet all your money on them seeing this one through in the second half.
A wayward Mohamed Salah volley aside, Liverpool struggled to find their attacking rhythm in a quiet opening quarter to the match as they looked to avoid going five matches in a row without finding the net in this fixture. Not until Georginio Wijnaldum blasted the ball on target 22 minutes in did Fraser Forster have anything to do, with Southampton managing to remain compact at the back.
The Saints' reluctance to get bodies forward allowed Liverpool to enjoy more and more possession of the ball in the final third, however, and the home side had the goal they craved half an hour in through their top scorer. Mohamed Salah made the most of some sloppy play from Dusan Tadic on the edge of the Southampton box by curling the ball past Forster from 25 yards.
Liverpool, beaten here just twice in their last 32 league matches, bagged a second 10 minutes later through the same man, as Salah this time latched on to Philippe Coutinho's perfectly-weighted through-ball and tucked past Forster - his 14th goal in all competitions since joining from Roma. The travelling Southampton fans had to wait until the final minute of the first half for their first shot, which ended inches wide of the target via a Ryan Bertrand free kick.
Mauricio Pellegrino will surely make at least one change at the break, either to shore up his midfield or provide an alternative to the ineffective Shane Long up top. Opposite number Jurgen Klopp may already have one eye on the midweek trip to Sevilla, meanwhile, with plenty of midfield back-up available to choose from.
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Karius, Milner, Gomez, Sturridge, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Can, Solanke
SOUTHAMPTON SUBS: McCarthy, Yoshida, Targett, Hojbjerg, Ward-Prowse, Gabbiadini, Austin
RESTART! We are back under way at Anfield, where neither manager has decided to make a change. A third Liverpool goal will kill the game off for good, but even two should be more than enough against a toothless Southampton.
Mignolet reacts well to get to the ball ahead of Long, who has popped up in some good positions but looks no closer to ending his 30-match run without a goal. Pellegrino urging his side on now, with a few players being sent to warm-up.
BLOCK! Boufal weaves into the box and attempted to curl the ball past Mignolet, but ex-Southampton man Lovren got his body in the way to block it. Better from the Saints, as they show more attacking intent in this second half.
Mane has this incredible ability to keep the ball in the toughest of situations. On this latest occasion, the ball is cut back into a dangerous zone, where a Southampton defender was well positioned to clear it behind for a corner kick.
SAVE! Forster incredibly slow off his line to close down Firmino, but he ultimately did enough to prevent the Brazilian forward from close range. Bertrand's backpass then went straight out of play to the frustration of his teammates.
SOUTHAMPTON SUB! We have not seen a great deal of Charlie Austin in the Premier League this term, but he is given 35 minutes to make an impact here. Tadic is the man to make way, possibly meaning two up top for the remainder.
Liverpool are well positioned to counter and had a man over, but the ball towards Salah was overhit and Southampton recovered. The Saints have stuck with Long up top, with Austin playing just off him, and they do look a little brighter.
CHANCE! With Southampton throwing more bodies forward, Liverpool are again given the chance to counter. Five on three at one point in their favour, but Moreno could not bring the ball under control inside the box and the Saints cleared away.
Hoedt lands awkwardly and limps towards the touchline for some further treatment - unsure whether he will be able to shake that one off. The Saints do look more likely to score in this second half, though that does of course come at a risk at the other end.
YELLOW CARD! Oriol Romeu with another challenge, which referee Mike Jones decides to punish him for with a yellow card, meaning that he will now miss next weekend's meeting with Everton on the South Coast. Coutinho shoots just wide.
Liverpool having all the joy in the world now as they are given more and more gaps to break into. A third goal for the hosts seems to be coming, so Pellegrino may be tempted to make another change or two in the coming minutes.
GOAL! LIVERPOOL 3-0 SOUTHAMPTON (PHILIPPE COUTINHO)
As simple as you like for Liverpool, bagging that killer third goal that makes certain of a third league win in a row. Firmino's shot was saved by the chest of Forster, but it fell into the path of Coutinho who had the easy task of tucking home the rebound.
SUBS! That goal was Coutinho's final involvement of the match, as he has not made way for Emre Can. Ward-Prowse is on for Boufal in the Saints' second change of the contest, meanwhile, with damage limitation now the order of the day.
LIVERPOOL SUB! Oxlade-Chamberlain, still finding his feet in his new surroundings, comes on for Mane with 15 minutes or so left to go. This turned out to be a real stroll for the Reds, who can now focus on their trip to Seville.
It is now just a case of Liverpool seeing this one through, potentially adding another goal or two to their tally. A job's work well done as far as Klopp is concerned, with his side now hot on the heels of Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place.
SOUTHAMPTON SUB! Pellegrino makes his final change of the match, introducing Gabbiadini - three goals in 12 Prem outings for him this term - in place of Long up top. The Saints heading towards a heavy defeat on Merseyside.
Approaching the final 10 minutes at Anfield and there is nothing really to report back on. Liverpool looking very comfortable at 3-0, having done much of the hard work in the opening 45 minutes to find that key breakthrough goal.
Liverpool's attacking players all chipping in now, each desperate to add their name to the scoresheet. The Reds do look as though they have a fourth goal in them before full time, which is about 13 minutes away with added time.
CLOSE! The fourth goal is very nearly added by Firmino, who raced into space only to drag the ball wide of the target. Prior to that, two-goal Salah was replaced to a standing ovation, with the ever-reliable Milner on in his place.
Southampton were at their brightest early in the second half, but they failed to create anything when temporarily on top and were made to pay. Liverpool now coasting over the line, still patiently probing away for a fourth just for good measure.
Full time is now in sight for Southampton, who have very much been second best today. That home meeting with Everton next weekend is looking pretty big now, as they face all of last season's top six - five of them away - before the end of 2017.
Looks as though there will be three or four minutes added on at Anfield, where Liverpool boast a three-goal lead. Salah the star man today, bagging two of those goals in the first half, but it has been a good all-round showing.
Still time for Liverpool to bag a fourth goal of the afternoon, as we enter the dying embers of this one-sided match. Southampton will have to return to the drawing board, having given a really bad account of themselves today.
FULL TIME: LIVERPOOL 3-0 SOUTHAMPTON
Liverpool comfortably see things through to pick up a third Premier League win in a row - the first time that they have managed that this calendar year. Mohamed Salah continued his impressive form by netting twice, while Philippe Coutinho also registered on his return from injury.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events at Anfield. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while updates from the evening kickoff in the Premier League between Manchester United and Newcastle United can be found here. Thanks for joining!
