With a sense of theatre, Luis Suarez celebrated his 100th Premier League appearance for Liverpool with the goal that signposted Brendan Rodgers’ team on the road to second place in the table at St Mary’s.

After a month without a goal, there was an inevitability that the Uruguayan would rediscover his touch on a night of such personal significance. It is easy to forget that Suarez spent much of last summer attempting to depart Merseyside. Undeniably, Liverpool supporters have forgotten.

His 24 goals this season — and 62 in his 100 League games for the club — have revived a belief that the men from Anfield have the resources, class and ambition to mount a challenge for the championship. The match with Manchester United at Old Trafford a fortnight today will provide another chance to reinforce that message.

Suarez brought his brief goal famine to an end in the 16th minute to offer a tangible commemoration of his latest Liverpool milestone.

He will recall others from his 62-strong catalogue being more artfully, or artistically, created. But he will surely remember that this one left Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers dancing with delight on the touchline. Southampton will simply curse their misfortune.

There was an undeniable element of luck involved in the Uruquayan striker acquiring possession, as Southampton’s defence appeared to have closed down the space around their penalty area when Philippe Coutinho jinked inside from the left. But the ball ricocheted kindly to Suarez from the outstretched leg of Jose Fonte, who appeared to have lost his balance.

Without a League goal for a month, Suarez capitalised with a right-footed shot deftly placed to the left of keeper Artur Boruc.

Southampton had already survived one scare. Joe Allen, brought into the Liverpool team for Raheem Sterling, offered Rodgers’ side an opportunity to make a perfect start with a scintillating long ball into the path of Daniel Sturridge in the sixth minute.

Sturridge accelerated into the area before unselfishly seeking out his partner in mayhem, Suarez, with a square ball. The 27-year-old striker looked set for the simplest of tap-ins when Fonte materialised to get a decisive touch and deny Suarez.

Some you win, some you lose.

Liverpool’s fast tempo, decreed by Rodgers, tested Southampton for the first quarter of the match. The Saints, who had won their previous two matches against Liverpool with similar tactics, had to adjust while maintaining their composure. Slowly, they took some sting out of the game.

They should have equalised in the 32nd minute. When Rickie Lambert used his barrel chest to put the ball into the path of Adam Lallana, the odds heavily favoured the Southampton captain to score.

But Lallana, pushing to start for England in midweek against Denmark, shot against the far post.

Southampton squandered a second fine chance three minutes before the interval. Jay Rodriguez, another player in the England squad, found an uncommon amount of room in the Liverpool area, but his right-footed shot was too close to Simon Mignolet and the goalkeeper prevented the ball from entering his net with a strong right hand.

Lallana was a constant threat. Southampton fans felt he had a case to be awarded a first-half penalty when pushed off the ball by a mighty shove which referee Lee Probert interpreted as an old-fashioned shoulder charge by Jon Flanagan.

Straight after the interval, the Southampton captain cleverly worked space only to shoot gently into the arms of Mignolet.

Rodgers wasted little time to make a positive response, bringing on Sterling for Coutinho. The enterprise brought swift reward.

Suarez created a yard of room and his cutback towards the penalty spot was met by Sterling, who beat Boruc with a delicate and well-placed finish. Behind the goal, Liverpool fans were in full voice. A big night, one destined to carry them above Arsenal on goal difference into second, was following the script Rodgers would have penned on the training ground.

Sturridge was disappointed to be substituted four minutes from time as he had scored in Liverpool’s eight previous League matches, a record only bettered by Ruud van Nistelrooy for Manchester United. But Rodgers is not managing a vanity project — he is seeking to restore Liverpool as a force in the land.

And Steven Gerrard clinched a convincing win from the penalty spot in added time after Suarez had been brought down by Fonte — really brought down.

—Daily Mail