Liverpool return to the top of the Premier League after stunning cameo from Jordan Henderson

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Liverpool returned to the summit of the Premier League following a dogged 3-1 win over Southampton.

Shane Long fired the Saints in front early doors before Naby Keita restored parity prior to the interval.

With the game petering towards an unwanted stalemate for the Reds, Mo Salah picked the perfect time to end his nine-game goal drought, with Jordan Henderson putting the seal on a crucial victory.

This wasn’t a textbook Liverpool performance.

For large parts of the game, Jurgen Klopp’s side looks sloppy in possession and weren’t at their fluent best.

The pivotal moment in the contest was when the Liverpool boss decided to throw Henderson into the action.

Against Spurs, on Sunday the skipper was subbed whilst he wasn’t in the squad for the previous game at Fulham.

The man paid £140k-a-week, according to Spotrac, isn’t a sulker though and proved a point at St Mary’s Stadium.

He was introduced after 59 minutes and proved to be the player that Liverpool had needed to grab the game by the scruff of the neck.

If Klopp learns one lesson from the game it should be that Henderson must start every game.

Keita got the goal and looked solid but Fabinho and Gini Wijnaldum both looked as though the pressure of a closely contested title race was bearing on their shoulders.

Henderson got his goal but his calm performance gave Liverpool the composure they had lacked for the previous hour.

The England international showed his boss in a timely fashion that he has the stomach to lead this team to their first Premier League title.