Liverpool were forced to come from behind to beat Southampton 3-1 and return to the top of the Premier League table this evening.

The visitors were again short of their best for long spells at St Mary's and fell behind after less than nine minutes when Shane Long fired home from close range.

Liverpool levelled things up through Naby Keita's first goal for the club before half time, but it wasn't until the 80th minute that they moved ahead through Mohamed Salah's first goal in his last nine outings.

Jordan Henderson then made sure of the points six minutes later as Liverpool were forced to grind out another win, lifting them two points clear of champions Manchester City, who are in FA Cup semi-final action this weekend.

Ralph Hasenhuttl was forced to bring Long into his side due to Danny Ings being ineligible against his parent club, but the striker repaid his manager's faith with the opening goal after just nine minutes - only his third strike in 39 games.

Ryan Bertrand was allowed too much space to cross from the left and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg flicked it on to the unmarked Long, who had time to take a touch inside the box before tucking his finish into the bottom corner for his 50th Premier League goal.

It was no more than Southampton deserved having begun the match with far more intensity than Liverpool, who struggled to cope with the home side's press and lacked the urgency befitting of their need for victory.

The Reds did carve out their first chance in the 16th minute as Sadio Mane's downward header from a Salah cross was too close to Angus Gunn, and Keita could not hook the rebound home from close range.

Southampton continued to be the better team, though, and they squandered a glorious chance to double their advantage when they won possession inside the Liverpool half and fed a low ball into the box for Long, who completely missed his kick when he should have scored.

Liverpool were seeing plenty of the ball but offered few signs of breaking through a packed Southampton defence until the equaliser did arrive nine minutes before half time.

A succession of crosses went all the way through to the opposite flank before Trent Alexander-Arnold provided the telling moment of quality with a whipped delivery which Keita met and squeezed over the line via a slight deflection off Jan Bednarek.

Having scored with a rare sight of goal, Liverpool almost made it two in three minutes when Roberto Firmino stood a cross up into the middle for Mane, who again rose highest in the box but this time could not get enough on his header to test the keeper.

Firmino dragged a chance of his own well wide shortly before the break, but it remained all square at half time and Southampton again came out of the blocks quicker at the start of the second half.

A Keita penalty appeal was all Liverpool had to shout about before the hour mark, when Jurgen Klopp decided to bring Henderson and James Milner on in order to increase his side's intensity and competitiveness.

The changes had the desired effect, and Firmino had a trio of chances in quick succession moments later, first drawing a comfortable save from Gunn before putting another shot wide and seeing his third attempt well blocked by Maya Yoshida.

Liverpool's pressure continued to grow until they finally took the lead 10 minutes from time with a landmark goal for Salah, who became the fastest Liverpool player to ever reach 50 Premier League goals for the club despite it being his first in nine outings.

The Reds hit Southampton with a blistering counter-attack as Salah carried the ball from inside his own half and turned down the chance to pass to Firmino in favour of whipping his finish into the bottom corner.

Only Alan Shearer and Ruud van Nistelrooy have ever reached 50 Premier League goals in fewer appearances for a single club, but the points were not secure until Henderson slid home a third goal six minutes later, bursting into the area to convert Firmino's cross after good work from the Brazilian down the right.

Liverpool have now won more points from losing positions than any other team this season (16), and the latest three lift them back above Man City - although the champions do still have a game in hand over Klopp's side.

SOUTHAMPTON (3-4-2-1): Gunn; Bednarek, Yoshida, Vestergaard (Austin 83'); Valery, Romeu (Armstrong 83'), Hojbjerg, Bertrand; Ward-Prowse, Redmond; Long (Sims 62')

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold (Henderson 59'), Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Wijnaldum (Milner 59'), Fabinho, Keita (Lovren 88'); Salah, Firmino, Mane