After all the talk about Virgil van Dijk’s return to Southampton, all the conjecture about how he would cope with the fury and the boos, it look barely six minutes for his performance to be reduced to nothing more than a sideshow to the main event.
Call it the Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino effect. Liverpool’s attacking duo rendered irrelevant the furore over Van Dijk in as little time as it takes for them to carve open a vulnerable defence. And as a bewildered Southampton back-line will attest, that is not very long at all.
Twice in the first half Salah and Firmino flicked the switch, and twice the home side’s defenders were left staring at each other as if they had been bewitched.
Southampton had not even performed badly in that first half. Mauricio Pellegrino’s side had enjoyed a six-game unbeaten run for a reason, and there was genuine enterprise and creatively for long spells in those opening exchanges.
But Southampton do not have a Firmino, and they certainly do not have a Salah, the man crowned the ‘Egyptian king’ by Liverpool’s besotted supporters. Between them, those two have now plundered 49 goals this season. It should have been at least 50, if not more, by the time a one-sided second half was brought to a close.
And so Liverpool returned to winning form with a performance that was as comfortable, in the end, as they could have hoped for. The clean sheet will be a source of great encouragement for Jurgen Klopp, as will the fact that Van Dijk delivered a classy, controlling performance for probably the first time since his £75 move from the south coast.
“He dealt with the situation fantastically,” said the Liverpool manager, whose side are now just two points behind second-placed Manchester United. “We had a little chat before the game, asking him what he thought. I did not want to make him nervous, but obviously he wasn’t.”
For Southampton, who lost all of their fight and optimism as soon as Salah had rolled home Liverpool’s second, this was a miserable end to a painful weekend. Victory over West Bromwich Albion last week had improved the mood, but wins for both Huddersfield and Newcastle United leave Pellegrino’s side in the relegation zone once more.
“We had to be more brave,” said the Southampton manager, whose team barely mustered a shot after half-time. “You can be losing but you can show spirit to try and bounce back, and try until the end. Today, the biggest defeat was the way we played the second half.”
The first chorus of the inevitable boos for Van Dijk were still ringing around St Mary’s when Firmino side-footed the visitors into the lead.
The world’s most expensive defender’s clearance led to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain spinning the ball towards the frightened Southampton back-line, where Wesley Hoedy promptly slashed at nothing but air. Salah was in, with Firmino waiting alongside him, and the rest was as inevitable as it was clinical.
To their credit, Southampton reacted by going on the offensive. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg forced Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius into a sprawling save, while James Ward-Prowse twice went close at the back post. Karius, though, was equal to his efforts, as he was to a powerful header from Guido Carrillo.
One can only imagine the thoughts of Firmino and Salah as they watched this sloppiness take hold at the back. Long balls were allowed to bounce, while simple clearances were shanked into the stands. Joel Matip, in particular, looked in an especially uneasy mood at centre-back, while left-back Andrew Robertson was exposed on more than one occasion from deep crosses.
“Not brilliant,” was Klopp’s assessment of that challenging period. Not to worry, though, for Salah and Firmino soon combined again to double the lead. Having gobbled up the first goal from a Salah assist, Firmino then turned provider in the most spectacular style by flicking a sublime pass into the Egyptian’s path as he darted into the penalty box.
Much like with the first goal, there was no doubt about what would happen next. It only took one moment, but Salah had his 29th of the season. "One mistake, and one amazing one-two, and they finished the game," Pellegrino said.
“I love them because of their skills, their attitude,” said Klopp of the duo. “Their work-rate is outstanding. They profit from our style of play as well. They play in areas where they like to have the ball. But, in this strong league, you cannot be third without fantastic players. They are two of them.”
With Southampton fully deflated, Liverpool seized control and should have had more. Sadio Mane, another former Saint, was in a frustratingly wasteful mood in attack, while even Salah fired a clear opportunity into the side netting.
Full time: Southampton 0 Liverpool 2
Two-nil but, with a bit more at stake, it would probably have been six or seven-nil. Liverpool had this wrapped up in a bright orange bow before half time, and the second half was something of a coconut shy. Southampton began the game in the bottom three thanks to Newcastle's earlier display of hunger, and deserve to be there on the basis of their own afternoon of gutlessness.
90 min +1
There will be four more minutes of Southampton fans trudging for the exits and Liverpool fans olé-ing.
88 min
Dejan Lovren is coming on for Liverpool, which feels like a bit too much salt in the Southampton wound. Salah saunters off, job done.
85 min
Chance! Lallana drifts in from the right, pursued by Bertrand, swaps passes with Salah, and bends a left-foot shot juuuust wide of the far post.
80 min
Oriel Romeu off, Steven Davis on, attention wandering.
79 min
Oh look, here comes a former Southampton footballer who now plays for Liverpool. Adam Lallana replaces the immaculate Roberto Firmino.
77 min
Van Dijk pops up on the edge of the box, and almost gives the ball away out of sympathy as he detects the Southampton fans' fear that he might curl a 25-yarder into the top corner to compound their mild sense of injustice.
76 min
Wijnaldum unselfishly steps over the ball to allow Mane the chance to shoot on his left foot, but it whistles past the left-hand post.
74 min
Another Liverpool counter attack, as the Southampton defence run out of turf to backpedal into, ends with Mane slamming a shot into a defender or two.
70 min
Chances! Mane ruins Hojbjerg on the right and feeds Firmino in the box - his shot is saved by McCarthy and Salah drills the follow-up...into the side-netting.
68 min
Nothing is happening. Liverpool still look a bit silly in orange.
63 min
Wijnaldum, the walking quiz question who hasn't scored a single goal way from home in 50 attempts with Newcastle and Liverpool, batters a shot somewhere towards the Isle of Wight.
60 min
Change for Liverpool, who are now down to just four ex-Southampton players: Oxlade-Chamberlain off, James Milner on.
59 min
Southampton free kick way out on the left, which is ideal for Ward-Prowse's deliveries...and the ball is poked just wide by Hoedt! Karius was probably beaten if it had been goalwards.
57 min
Off comes Lemina, and it's the rather more adventurous Sofiane Boufal who is summoned from the bench. St Mary's is like a morgue, meanwhile.
53 min
Something more still in this for Salah, if he wants it: he's sandwiched between Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero on 22 Premier League goals. One more here will take him level at the top of the charts.
49 min
Mario Lemina has hit the deck - apparently he's feeling ill - and Mauricio Pellegrino will be forced into a change. Steven Davis is being readied.
47 min
Emre Can is booked for sliding in on Romeu, who emerges with the ball anyway and could have proceeded further without the referee's whistle. Southampton don't make a fuss, though.
We go again...
Liverpool get the second half off and running. The scoreline feels very much at their mercy now.
Half time
Pretty, pretty, pretty good for Liverpool, that. Two knife-through-butter goals - one for Firmino via Salah, the other for Salah via Firmino - are the difference, but it's much more than that. Southampton are in the bottom three, and might want to roll those sleeves up.
GOAL! Southampton 0 Liverpool 2 (Salah, 42 min)
Out of the blue, Mohamed Salah shares a lovely one-two with Firmino, has only Alex McCarthy to beat, and he does so with consummate ease.
Game over, tbf.
40 min
Ryan Bertrand gallops down the left, but his deep cross is met not by an expensive striker's head, but that of Ward-Prowse, who can only nod it down, straight at Karius.
37 min
Booking for Joel Matip, after brings Dusan Tadic to the ground. Ward-Prowse swings in another of those emphatic, arcing free kicks, but it curls beyond everyone and into the gloves of Karius.
36 min
Southampton are very tidy, but pretty inoffensive, and this game will need a right good shake-up if Liverpool are to take anything other than three points home. The hosts win a corner, but Liverpool survive.
32 min
Lemina goes down after having a toe or two trodden on by a retreating Oxlade-Chamberlain. Mane then races in behind but can only poke a shot well wide under pressure from Cedric.
28 min
This isn't a compellingly liquid game of football - more a case of Southampton probe, Liverpool counter, and repeat. Guido Carrillo gets up to a James Ward-Prowse cross from the right to head straight at Karius - that's the new man's first glimpse. Moments later, Karius has to tip over from Ward-Prowse!
25 min
Firmino goes down in the box, but Jack Stephens wasn't in danger of being collared for that - a mere brush as he stole the ball away. Soon after, Sadio Mane drags a left-foot shot wide from 25 yards.
21 min
Southampton have finally woken up a bit and are making a proper game of this. Liverpool react with some tidy play of their own in the final third...until Firmino carelessly gifts the Saints a goal kick.
18 min
Chance! Oriel Romeu floats a ball over the head of Robertson, but Loris Karius stands firm to repel Hojbjerg's effort.
16 min
Stat, Pt. II:
He's far from a traditional centre forward, but - Harry Kane apart - which traditional centre forwards are having much joy these days? Firmino seems to have a bit of everything.
13 min
A few boos for Virgil van Dijk is the most Southampton fans have had to get stuck into so far. Lemina tries to get some passing going in the home midfield, but eventually runs into a cul-de-sac of fluorescent orange.
10 min
Stat:
8 min
The room Liverpool have on the break is terrifying, but this time Southampton scramble enough bodies back to smother the danger as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain shoots from the left.
GOAL! Southampton 0 Liverpool 1 (Firmino, 6 min)
...Southampton leave themselves wide open, Hoedt miskicks, Salah has an acre, he squares to Firmino and he finishes low beyond McCarthy with the left foot. Simple stuff, well done.
5 min
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg chases down a long ball and wins a corner from Andrew Robertson, which he celebrates almost like a goal, such was his persistence. And then...
3 min
Some Southampton scrappiness - first Alex McCarthy mis-kicks, and then Mario Lemina plays Hoedt into trouble - almost allow Liverpool in.
2 min
Salah has his first one-on-one, which Wesley Hoedt just about deals with, at the expense of a corner. Southampton clear.
Kick off!
Liverpool - with no fewer than five ex-Saints in their lineup - are in bright orange today, and Southampton get us going at St Mary's...
Mind the gap
Manchester United's surprise reverse at Newcastle means 1) Man City's Premier League trophy has had another ribbon tied to it and 2) Liverpool can leapfrog Spurs to close the gap between them and United to two points.
Southampton, meanwhile, are now in the bottom three thanks to Newcastle's heroics.
The teams are in
Just under 30 minutes until kick off.
Match preview
Mauricio Pellegrino accepts some Southampton fans will be ready to vent their anger at Virgil van Dijk when he returns to St Mary's Stadium - but feels the Dutchman is now "part of the past."
Holland international van Dijk left the Saints to join Liverpool in a £75million deal at the start of the January transfer window, making him the world's most expensive defender.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp accepts "it will probably not be the most friendly" welcome awaiting the centre-back on Sunday.
Pellegrino, though, wants everyone to move on from the protracted saga, with Southampton having made a healthy return from the £11.5m they paid to bring Van Dijk from Celtic in September 2015.
"We have to be grateful with him, and now we have to think Virgil is part of the past," the Argentinian said.
"But he did well in our club and he left some profit to the club.
"Now, we have to be focused in our game, in what we have to do.
"We will be playing against one of the best teams in the Premier League, they are are a really strong side and so we will have to do lots of things very well."
Pellegrino continued at a press conference, as broadcast on the club's official website: "It is difficult, because there is no true (idea) about one situation - one person can be grateful with him, and one person can say 'boo'.
"Every single person has an opinion about everybody, and we have to respect that, but I think our fans are really respectful with ex-players.
"I prefer our fans to be supportive of our (current) players, to be behind us.
"Our players have to be focused to give our supporters a good attitude with good energy, with 100 per cent on the pitch."
PA
Full time: Southampton 0 Liverpool 2
Two-nil but, with a bit more at stake, it would probably have been six or seven-nil. Liverpool had this wrapped up in a bright orange bow before half time, and the second half was something of a coconut shy. Southampton began the game in the bottom three thanks to Newcastle's earlier display of hunger, and deserve to be there on the basis of their own afternoon of gutlessness.
90 min +1
There will be four more minutes of Southampton fans trudging for the exits and Liverpool fans olé-ing.
88 min
Dejan Lovren is coming on for Liverpool, which feels like a bit too much salt in the Southampton wound. Salah saunters off, job done.
85 min
Chance! Lallana drifts in from the right, pursued by Bertrand, swaps passes with Salah, and bends a left-foot shot juuuust wide of the far post.
80 min
Oriel Romeu off, Steven Davis on, attention wandering.
79 min
Oh look, here comes a former Southampton footballer who now plays for Liverpool. Adam Lallana replaces the immaculate Roberto Firmino.
77 min
Van Dijk pops up on the edge of the box, and almost gives the ball away out of sympathy as he detects the Southampton fans' fear that he might curl a 25-yarder into the top corner to compound their mild sense of injustice.
76 min
Wijnaldum unselfishly steps over the ball to allow Mane the chance to shoot on his left foot, but it whistles past the left-hand post.
74 min
Another Liverpool counter attack, as the Southampton defence run out of turf to backpedal into, ends with Mane slamming a shot into a defender or two.
70 min
Chances! Mane ruins Hojbjerg on the right and feeds Firmino in the box - his shot is saved by McCarthy and Salah drills the follow-up...into the side-netting.
68 min
Nothing is happening. Liverpool still look a bit silly in orange.