Like the most of us at St Mary’s, Richard Hughes, the sporting director for Liverpool, had lost the fight against the weather. The Reds transfer chief appeared motionless as he talked to friends in the upscale seats, and his normally immaculate combover had a life of its own.

But down on the field, Mohamed Salah, his star player, was making fun of the people shivering in the stands by stripping off his shirt and showing off his abs to the traveling Kop.

This is a versatile player for any situation. 

Regardless of whether Liverpool needs a goal to overcome relegation fodder or a standout performance to defeat a title opponent, Salah is still the man.

Salah’s hand at the negotiation table over his new contract was further reinforced after he scored two more goals here, making it his fifth consecutive goal. Liverpool really cannot let him sail off into the sunset just yet, based on the evidence of this season.

Salah’s numbers speak for themselves, even if Hughes and the Reds’ top management were unable to watch it from the stands: 12 goals and 10 assists in 18 games this season. 

This match was the club’s 100th away goal, bringing his total to 223 goals at Liverpool and over 300 goals overall, including his previous teams.

Every week, he presents a more compelling argument for being the greatest player of the modern era. Few players in Premier League history had the ability to influence game results and, perhaps, championship races like Salah, who is still doing so in his mid-30s.

Mohamed Salah has now scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists in just 18 games this season.

The Egyptian scored twice on Sunday to complete Liverpool’s comeback against Southampton.

Arne Slot’s side are now eight points clear of Man City after their shock 4-0 defeat to Spurs.

Simply simply, Liverpool wouldn’t lead the league by eight points if it weren’t for Salah. Not a chance. This victory was just one more instance of that.

Southampton most likely deserved more than the defeat they ultimately suffered since Arne Slot’s team was far from at its best. Salah was enjoying a calm afternoon, and despite Alex McCarthy’s numerous saves, the Saints appeared to be very resilient overall.

However, when it counts, the best players show up, and Salah did just that in this case. He won the game with a brilliant penalty kick and an incredible first goal, though it’s unclear if he intended for it to go that way.

Without Salah, Liverpool might have returned to Merseyside with nothing and only five points ahead, which might have been reduced to only two when Manchester City visits town on Sunday. Instead, they lead by eight points, and Pep Guardiola’s team may lead by double figures by this time next week.

The major dilemma, however, is what follows. Salah has 37 days to lawfully approach foreign clubs about a free summer transfer. He might be wearing a Liverpool shirt for the last time in six months.

With a weekly salary of £350,000 and other bonuses, he is undoubtedly their most paid player, but with this once-in-a-generation talent, exceptions seem essential.

The Reds’ senior management should take note of the aforementioned statistics and use the stats to encourage Salah to sign a new deal once they have recovered from this windy afternoon on the south coast.