Liverpool 3 Southampton 0: Mo Salah makes history as his two goals make it nine in just 12 games for the Reds
MOHAMED SALAH made Liverpool history with a brace to notch up nine goals in his first 12 Premier League games for the club.
When the Reds forked out £34 million to bring the Egyptian to Anfield from Roma in the summer - after an unsuccessful spell in the Premier League for Chelsea, many thought it was another piece of bad business by Liverpool
Instead he has repaid the faith shown in him by his club - with manager Jurgen Klopp insisting he can still improve.
He has already scored nine Premier League goals this season, beating the record of eight set by club legend Robbie Fowler who set his mark in December 1993 - when Salah was ONE.
Salah, whose penalty helped Eygpt reach next summer's World Cup finals, is also now the top scorer in the Premier League.
Liverpool were also boosted by the return of former Saints man Sadio Mane and Brazilian playmaker Phillipe Coutinho.
It will help ensure Klopp, who suffered a health scare in midweek, stays out of hospital after claiming doctors had told his team to maintain their winning form to aid his recovery.
It was the Saints however, with Shane Long up front despite not finding the net since February 11 who started the brightest.
Nathan Redmond cut in and passed to Long after just five minutes only for Dejan Lovren to reach out and stop the ball going into the net.
The fixture read like an old boys reunion with Mane, who scored four goals for Saints against his current club, and Saints manager Mauricio Pellegrino a former player and coach under ex-Anfield boss Rafa Benitez.
Then there was Virgil Van Dijk, finally playing at Anfield this season after Klopp unsuccessfully bid for him in the summer and amidst renewed speculation of a move away from St Mary's in January.
Mane and Coutinho had already missed chances when Salah iopened the scoring for the home side after three minutes.
Van Dijk had tried to head the ball away to safety only for it to fall to Georginino Wijnaldum. He set up the Egyptian whose driving left foot shot flew past Fraser Forster into the top corner of the net.
And 20 minutes later Salah scored his second. A beautiful pass from Coutinho found the 25 year-old whose left foot shot sailed past Forster for his ninth goal this season.
After 54 minutes Trent Alexander-Armstrong found Firmino only for Forster to rush out of his goalmouth to make the save.
The visitors, who have have won just four of their last 20 league games, then brought on Charlie Austin to replace Dusan Tadic in a bid to increase their attacking power.
But it was Liverpool who were to score. Mane started the move on the left, passing to Firmino whose shot was parried away by Forster allowing Coutinho to score from the rebound on the 67th minute.
And minutes later Salah came off - James Milner replacing him - to a standing ovation and a hug from manager Klopp.
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FACTS, STATS, GOALS & LOLS
- Southampton's long wait for a win at Anfield goes on. The last time they triumphed there was in 2013 and they have won just four of their 41 top-flight matches at the ground.
- Anfield truly is a fortress. The Reds are unbeaten at home this season and have lost just two of their last 33 league games there.
- Liverpool have now conceded just one Premier League goal in eight home fixtures this season.
- Liverpool have never had anyone score more than 14 goals in a season for them since Luis Suarez left. Mo Salah has 14 so far this season.
- Saints manager Mauricio Pellegrino played 13 games for Liverpool in 2005 and was first-team coach at the club under Rafa Benitez between 2008-10.
