Arne Slot gets exactly what he deserves as Liverpool boss delivers on two fronts

The travelling Kop had experienced such a rollercoaster of emotions in the last 24 hours they weren’t going to be denied. And as the roars grew among the Liverpool support, so Arne Slot delivered.

As the Reds head coach slowly wandered towards the far corner of the St Mary’s Stadium after the final whistle, he was greeted with a crescendo of noise before acknowledging the huge vocal backing with a wave and a thumbs up.

If this was arguably the loudest the acclaim had thus far been afforded Slot at an away match, it was merited given the manner in which he helped guide Liverpool through a serious test of their character to open up an eight-point lead at the Premier League summit.

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From dreadful conditions, uncharacteristic errors, questionable officiating and the usual effects of a first post-international break encounter at opposition bottom of the table, everything pointed to this being the afternoon the Reds’ championship challenge was blown off the course on which it has thus far been serenely sailing.

This, though, is a Liverpool team made of stern stuff, steeled from several title challenges in recent years and, in Slot, possessing a boss who continues to prove himself more than capable of negotiating the hurdles facing every title-chasing team.

With Manchester City’s recent woes compounded by Tottenham Hotspur the previous evening, the Reds knew this was an opportunity to land a major blow ahead of entertaining the champions next weekend.

And while they were given a helping hand – literally in the case of Southampton substitute Yuki Sugawara, allowing Mohamed Salah to net the winner from the spot – that they recovered from the shock of going 2-1 behind early in the second half was very much their own work, highlighting their strength of resolve and belief in their methods when not all is going to plan.

Certainly, the question of how Liverpool would cope dealing with a setback was answered here, methodically sticking to Slot’s patient gameplan during the final half-hour as they gradually wore down the Southampton backline by camping outside their penalty area for long periods. Eventually the home side cracked.

As any successful side knows, not every game can produce a stellar performance. And on such occasions the collective willingness to roll up sleeves and sheer desire are required to get the job done.

Liverpool had both in abundance here. They simply weren’t going to let this chance slip - and the jubilant away support knew it. Now the real tests begin.