Liverpool moved up to second place in the Premier League table on Saturday thanks to a 3-0 victory at Southampton.
Luis Suarez opened the scoring for the visitors on 15 minutes before substitute Raheem Sterling doubled their advantage with 57 minutes played.
Steven Gerrard then secured the points for the Merseysiders deep in stoppage time when he converted from the penalty spot.
Read Sports Mole's minute-by-minute report below to find out how all of the action unfolded at St Mary's Stadium.
4.30pmHello there and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of this evening's Premier League encounter as Southampton welcome Liverpool to St Mary's Stadium. We should have some team news through for you shortly...
4.33pmLIVERPOOL: Mignolet; Johnson, Flanagan, Agger, Skrtel; Gerrard, Allen, Henderson, Coutinho; Sturridge, Suarez
4.34pmLIVERPOOL SUBS: Jones, Toure, Cissokho, Moses, Aspas, Sterling, Teixeira
4.37pmJust the one change for visitors Liverpool as Joe Allen replaces Raheem Sterling, who drops to the bench. Steven Gerrard, Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez all start.
4.39pmSOUTHAMPTON: Boruc; Chambers, Fonte, Lovren, Shaw; Cork, Schneiderlin, Davis, Lallana; Rodriguez, Lambert
4.40pmSOUTHAMPTON SUBS: Gazzaniga, Clyne, Yoshida, Ramirez, Wanyama, Ward-Prowse, Gallagher
4.43pmSome good news for Southampton as Dejan Lovren returns to the side for the first time in nearly two months following ankle ligament damage. The Croatian replaces Maya Yoshida at the back.
4.45pm
Luis Suarez makes his 100th league appearance for #LFC today #Suarez100 pic.twitter.com/9EqXJXkFXA
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 1, 20144.48pmUPDATE: Today's four other matches in the Premier League are gradually nearing the final whistle, and we'll bring you those full-time results as soon as they happen. Plenty of goals and controversy in the top flight this afternoon.
4.52pmThere will be a lot of eyes on Southampton full-back Luke Shaw this evening after the youngster's recent call-up to the senior England squad for their upcoming friendly against Denmark. Shaw has had a stellar campaign so far for the Saints and it's hard to say that he doesn't deserve his chance with the Three Lions.
4.55pmPREMIER LEAGUE FULL-TIME RESULTS:
Everton 1-0 West Ham
Fulham 1-3 Chelsea
Hull 1-4 Newcastle
Stoke 1-0 Arsenal
4.58pmThe big result there is Arsenal's 1-0 defeat at Stoke City. How costly will that prove to be for the Gunners in the context of the title race? Meanwhile, there was huge controversy at the KC Stadium as Newcastle boss Alan Pardew was sent to the stands for aiming a headbutt at Hull's David Meyler during the Magpies' 4-1 victory. Who knows what sort of punishment Pardew will get for his part in that incident?
5.01pmArsenal's defeat at Stoke means that Liverpool can climb up to second place in the table if they win tonight. The Reds would go level with the Gunners, but they have a far superior goal difference. Southampton will stay in ninth place with a victory.
5.04pmRECENT FORM:
SOUTHAMPTON: DWDWWL
LIVERPOOL: WDWWLW
5.07pmLiverpool have been in majestic form as of late, winning six times in an eight-match unbeaten run. Southampton had gone six games without tasting defeat before losing 3-1 at West Ham United last weekend.
5.10pmHEAD TO HEAD: Liverpool have the better record when it comes to past meetings between these teams, winning 39 times compared to Southampton's 24. There have also been 19 draws. However, the Saints have a winning record against the Merseysiders on home turf.
5.13pmSouthampton have also had the upper hand in their past two games versus Liverpool. They won 1-0 at Anfield earlier in the season after beating them 3-1 at St Mary's Stadium last season. There hasn't been a draw between these sides in 10 matches.
5.16pmLiverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet recently speaking to the Liverpool Echo: "We are in a good position at the moment but with 11 games to go there are still a lot of things that can happen.
"We need to stay calm and just focus on our next game at Southampton. That's going to be a very difficult game for us and we need to prepare well. We won't be thinking about what's happened against them in the past."
5.18pm
3 - This is the third time Steven Gerrard has managed nine assists in a single PL season - he has never made double figures. Target.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 1, 20145.21pmPREDICTION TIME: With just under 10 minutes until kickoff, how do you see tonight's match going? We here at Sports Mole reckon that it will be Southampton who come out on top, denting Liverpool's title hopes with a 2-1 win.
5.25pmFive minutes until this one gets underway and the teams are starting to emerge in the tunnel. Needless to say, there are some very focused faces among the players.
1 minKICKOFF! Right. The players are out, the pre-match handshakes have been done, and it will be Liverpool to kick us off. Here we go!
3 minIt's Liverpool who have had the better start to this match as they try to attack Southampton early. However, the hosts have also done a good job of pressing their opponents and making sure that they don't get too near their goal.
6 minNow it's Southampton who are enjoying the majority of possession. Lallana and Rodriguez have already looked busy, causing the Liverpool defence one or two problems with their clever movement. Meanwhile, Sturridge leads a counter-attack at the other end, but his attempted pass to Suarez is intercepted brilliantly by Fonte.
8 min
PHOTO: Brendan Rodgers watches on as #LFC face Southampton at St Mary's pic.twitter.com/DJYlsl3DSh
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 1, 201410 minA bit of a nasty one there for Shaw as he collides with Flanagan while challenging for an aerial ball. The full-back stayed down following the incident, but it looks like he'll be okay to continue.
13 minIt's still fairly even at the moment, with neither side taking full control of the match. That said, Liverpool have been the more threatening when going forward. Sturridge in particular has been lively, while Suarez is keeping the Southampton defence on their toes.
15 minGOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 0-1 LIVERPOOL (SUAREZ)
15 minLiverpool lead and it's Luis Suarez with the goal! It's a bit of a disaster from a Southampton point of view as the ball bobbled off Fonte and into Suarez's path before the striker calmly slotted home from just inside the box. First blood to the Merseysiders.
19 minCredit to Southampton, they've responded positively after going behind. They've not panicked. Instead, they're passing the ball around with conviction, trying to probe their way through the Liverpool defence.
21 min
412 - Luis Suarez's goal at St Mary's ends a run of six hours and 52 minutes without a Premier League goal. Barren.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 1, 201421 minCHANCE! Liverpool squander a good opportunity to double their advantage as Suarez curls a free kick over the crossbar. By his standards you would have expected him to at least get that one on target.
24 minSouthampton are still showing plenty of ambition going forward, but they're struggling with the final ball. One such instance sees Chambers get into a good position down on the right, only to float his poor cross out of play. Still, Mauricio Pochettino can't be too unhappy with the performance of his players so far.
25 minCHANCE! Nearly an equaliser for the hosts, and what a goal it would have been from Lambert. The striker met Shaw's cross on the half-volley, but he could only fire over from the edge of the box. Great technique from the big man.
27 min
PHOTO: Adam Lallana takes on @LFC defender Martin Skrtel as #SaintsFC look to recover from going behind. pic.twitter.com/CxAbdUSi4O
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) March 1, 201430 minCHANCE! Great defending from Johnson there to cut out Chamber's dangerous cross. The resulting corner sees Lovren have a crack at goal before the visitors get rid of the threat.
31 minOFF THE POST! So close for Southampton as Lallana is denied by the woodwork! Lambert does well to head a cross down towards his captain, but Lallana can only scuff his effort against the post with a number of Liverpool players crowding him out.
33 minCHANCE! Southampton are enjoying a really good spell at the moment. Shaw does well to get a cross in from the left before Lallana sees his first-time shot flash narrowly wide of goal. Liverpool are struggling to get out of their own half right now.
36 minJust under 10 minutes remaining in this first half and Southampton are still looking more likely to score. It's been a decent game so far, with the momentum swinging one way and then the other.
39 minCHANCE! How many opportunities do Southampton want? Chambers does well again down the right before pinging a cross into the box. Lallana gets in the way of Schneiderlin, but the Frenchman manages to get a volley away that fizzes over the crossbar.
42 minIt's end-to-end football at the minute. Southampton are still just about on top, though Liverpool are looking dangerous on the break. This match promised to be an intriguing encounter and it hasn't let us down so far as the half-time whistle approaches.
42 minSAVE! That's a very good stop from Mignolet to deny Rodriguez. Shaw's cross was left by Lambert, allowing Rodriguez to hit a firm effort towards goal. However, Liverpool's goalkeeper was there to get down low and keep the ball out.
45 minTwo minutes of added time at the end of this first half...
45+2 minHALF TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 0-1 LIVERPOOL
6.18pmThe half-time whistle goes and it's Liverpool who lead 1-0 thanks to Luis Suarez's 24th goal of the season. The Reds looked good early on, but it was Southampton who took control of the game after going behind.
6.21pmSouthampton's best chance of the half came on 31 minutes when Adam Lallana's effort hit the post. However, the hosts have also carved out a number of decent other opportunities so far.
6.24pmAs it stands, Liverpool will be climbing above Arsenal into second place in the table. The Gunners were one of eight teams in action earlier today, and here come the scores from those matches...
6.26pmPREMIER LEAGUE FULL-TIME RESULTS:
Everton 1-0 West Ham
Fulham 1-3 Chelsea
Hull 1-4 Newcastle
Stoke 1-0 Arsenal
6.29pm
PHOTO: Roy Hodgson takes his seat at St Mary's as he casts an eye over #SaintsFC's #England quartet. pic.twitter.com/XEyKtYUjp3
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) March 1, 201446 minSECOND HALF UNDERWAY! The players are back out and it will be Southampton to kick us off for the second half. The Saints have made a change at the break with Gaston Ramirez replacing Steven Davis.
49 minThis has been a really positive start to the second half from Southampton. Ramirez has already been involved in a couple of promising attacks. Meanwhile, Liverpool are yet to get going. The hosts' first chance of the second period falls to Lallana, who has a tame shot saved by Mignolet.
53 minThere's a bit more flow to this match now as Liverpool start looking for their second goal. It would be a long way back for Southampton were they to concede again, but they've been fairly solid at the back so far tonight.
56 minSUBSTITUTION: Liverpool make a change now as Raheem Sterling replaces Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian has been below par this evening, looking a husk of the players we've got used to seeing over the past few months.
57 minGOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 0-2 LIVERPOOL (STERLING)
57 minWhat an impact from Raheem Sterling as he doubles Liverpool's advantage with a simple finish from close range! Suarez did brilliantly to roll his marker before firing in a cross towards Sterling, who couldn't miss from six yards. Game over? It's looking tricky for Southampton now.
60 minAn hour played and there's little to suggest that Southampton will get anything from this match now. They're going to have to start committing more men forward, which could well play into Liverpool's hands. However, a goal in the next 10 minutes or so might change the complexion of this game.
62 min
10 - Luis Suarez has now provided more assists than any other @premierleague player this season. Dominant.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 1, 201465 minDespite the outlook of this match looking bleak for them, Southampton aren't giving up the fight just yet. Their passing and movement hasn't been as slick in this second half, but they're still giving it a go. Can they pull a goal back and give themselves something to work with?
68 minCHANCE! Almost a third for Liverpool as Sturridge gets in behind the Southampton defence, but the striker can only shoot off target from a tight angle. Meanwhile, Jordan Henderson goes into the book for a trip on Shaw.
71 minJust under 20 minutes remaining at St Mary's Stadium and time is running out for the home side. They desperately need a goal to turn this game back in their favour. Suarez gets some space inside the box before crossing for Sturridge, but he gets too much on it and the danger recedes.
73 minCHANCE! This is getting all too easy for Liverpool now. Gerrard has his long-range effort tipped wide by Boruc before Suarez's corner nearly creeps into the near post. What an outrageous goal that would have been.
74 minCHANCE! Liverpool are rampant at the moment, carving the hosts open at will. Suarez gets put through on goal again but can only drag his shot wide of goal with Boruc beaten. It looks like Southampton could make a couple of changes in a minute.
76 minSUBSTITUTIONS: Here is that double change for Southampton as Sam Gallagher and Victor Wanyama enter the action in place of Rickie Lambert and Jack Cork.
79 minJohnson is lucky to get away with a booking there. He kicked the ball away after the referee had blown his whistle but no punishment is given. Just over 10 minutes left to play at St Mary's Stadium and it will take a miracle for Southampton to get something out of this game now.
82 minIf the score remains the same, Liverpool will have earned only their third away clean sheet of the season. Remember, the Merseysiders will move up to second place in the table if they hang on for the three points.
84 minYELLOW CARD: Southampton's Victor Wanyama goes into the book for chopping down Luis Suarez. Not a very clever challenge from the substitute.
85 minSUBSTITUTION: A second change of the match for Liverpool sees Daniel Sturridge replaced by Iago Aspas.
86 minYELLOW CARD: Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is warned by the referee for a cynical foul on Wanyama.
90 minFour minutes of added time...
90+2 minNothing fancy from Liverpool now. They're just trying to keep the ball and run down the clock.
90+3 minPENALTY TO LIVERPOOL!
90+3 minGOAL! SOUTHAMPTON 0-3 LIVERPOOL (GERRARD, PENALTY)
90+3 minNice and simple from Steven Gerrard as he seals the win from the penalty spot. The kick was given after Suarez was brought down by Fonte, and there was the Liverpool skipper to fire in from 12 yards.
90+4 minFULL TIME: SOUTHAMPTON 0-3 LIVERPOOL
7.25pmThe full-time whistle goes and Liverpool move up to second place in the Premier League table thanks to a 3-0 victory over Southampton. Luis Suarez got the Reds on their way with 15 minutes played before Raheem Sterling doubled their advantage on the hour. The points were then secured deep in stoppage time thanks to a Steven Gerrard penalty.
7.27pmThat's all from me for now but don't forget that you can keep up to date with all of the reaction from tonight's match right here on Sports Mole. Thanks for your company and we hope to see you again soon. Goodnight!
