Mohamed Salah scored twice in the second half to send Liverpool eight points clear at the top of the Premier League -- but they made hard work of beating bottom club Southampton.
They trailed 2-1 with 25 minutes to go but a clever first time finish got Arne Slot's team level before he hammered home an 83rd minute penalty to secure all the points.
Dominik Szoboszlai gave Liverpool the lead on the half hour after Southampton's insistence on playing out from the back cost them dearly and it looked like a routine win was on the cards.
But Southampton were level three minutes before the break when Andy Robertson's foul on Tyler Dibling was adjudged to be just inside the penalty area. Adam Armstrong subsequent spot kick was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher but the forward converted the rebound.
It got even better for the home side 11 minutes after the break when Mateus Fernandes finished off superb work from Dibling and Armstrong.
Liverpool entered this fixture with the best defensive record in the league but they looked a shadow of the solid structure Arne Slot has implemented since his arrival.
The defensive unit, led by Virgil van Vijk and Ibrahima Konate have oozed calmness during the first part of the season, conceding only six goals. Yet they were anything but the assured, stable force against a Southampton side who had only scored seven goals.
Striker Paul Onuachu was a surprise selection by Russell Martin and he used his power and height to unsettle Liverpool's centre-backs early on and help Southampton move up the pitch. Konate picked up a yellow card after one foul.
The compact shape was also exposed with Southampton's midfielders finding plenty of space centrally to drive forward.
Dibling was Southampton's most impressive player with Liverpool unable to live with his ball carrying and he was crucial to Southampton's second goal. He beat Szoboszlai to a forward ball and worked it to Armstrong who set up Fernandes.
It was a sloppy Liverpool performance throughout the match, but with tough tests to come, making sure the defensive problems are a blip rather than the start of a theme.
When Liverpool needed one of their big players to drag them out of a hole, the Egypt international stepped forward once again.
There was fortune with his first goal as he raced onto a ball over the top and tapped into an empty net after McCarthy had vacated his goal but he made it looked simple.
There was no doubt about his second as he slotted home his penalty, won after a handball from Suguwara, with complete conviction.
It took him to ten Premier League goals for the season and his only disappointment will be that he did not come away with the match ball. He missed a handful of good chances in the first half and then hit the post late on.
If Liverpool's hierarchy had sense they would try and tie him down to a contract extension as soon as possible because the longer they wait, the more Salah strengthens his case.
He continues to be indispensable.
When Robertson fouled Dibling just before half time, referee Samuel Barrott took his time before pointing to the penalty spot. It was the tighest of calls. Initial replays shown suggested the foul had occurred outside of the box.
Zoomed in slow motion replays showed Dibling's toe being on the line of the area when the foul was committed.
Michael Oliver on VAR, who was criticised last month after telling David Coote to go to the screen for West Ham United's late spot kick against Manchester United, felt there was no conclusive evidence to suggest the contact occurred outside the penalty area and the onfield decision stood.
Liverpool only had themselves to blame for the situation with Virgil van Dijk carelessly losing possession on the half way line with an unnecessary flick, and Robertson committing to the tackle when Dibling was being forced wide.
Kelleher nearly made up for it by saving the penalty from Armstrong, but the forward reacted quickest to make it 1-1.