Thiago scored his first goal for Liverpool as they kept their top-four hopes alive with a 2-0 win over Southampton at Anfield
Both sides had clear chances in an open first half, but Liverpool got the opener as Sadio Mane rose above Kyle Walker-Peters to convert Mohamed Salah's cross from six yards (31), the first time the duo had combined for a Premier League goal this season
Alisson was on hand to deny Saints on several occasions in both halves, while also nearly handing them a leveller on a plate with a poor pass out in the second, gratefully gathering Che Adams' weak shot, before summer signing Thiago struck with a fine low effort from outside the box into the bottom right corner (90)
The weekend had offered mixed results in Liverpool's quest for the top four, with and beaten, but  just before this vital win
 It leaves Liverpool six points off fourth-place Leicester, with a game in hand and four to play, with Chelsea a point further ahead in third
Southampton are 16th and not yet mathematically safe having won just twice in 17 games, but sit 10 points off the drop zone with 12 points to play for
Both sides were eager to attack in the first half; Salah was denied by Fraser Forster at an angle, with Mane in a better position, before the Southampton goalkeeper was then forced into stops from Diogo Jota's fierce effort and Salah's curling shot inside the box
Forster was beaten by Gini Wijnaldum's header from a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner, the crossbar coming to his rescue, and at the other end goalkeeper Alisson stood tall to deny Adams a sure goal as Saints broke at speed, feasting on Liverpool's high defensive line
But 45 seconds later, Liverpool were ahead
 Found by Fabinho on the right, Salah weighted a lovely ball into Mane at the back post, outmuscling his marker Walker-Peters and heading past Forster, who chose not to come out and claim the ball
Salah nearly had a second moments later, blocked out after trying to round Forster, and Saints should have levelled just before the break as Nathan Tella's header from Nathan Redmond's cross fell into the grateful hands of Alisson
Jota stung the hands of Forster early in the second half from a tight angle, while Nat Phillips then had a much clearer sight at goal, miscuing his ummarked header from Alexander-Arnold's brilliant cross
Michael Obafemi, just moments after coming on, nearly grabbed a leveller as he was played through by Tella, catching Rhys Williams flat-footed, but Alisson rushed out to block again
Diallo, another substitute, forced Alisson to tip over from a half volley as Liverpool survived some pressure, with the hosts caught in-between pushing for a second and defending against a pushy Saints side
Alisson, who had been the scourge of Saints, then nearly gifted them a goal as his loose pass out fell to the feet of Adams, only for his weak effort to fall straight back into the Brazil goalkeeper's arms
But Thiago, criticised for mixed form since joining from Bayern Munich last summer, showed his class with a low finish from 20 yards in the final minute, wrapping up a significant victory
While not being a mathematical must-win, Liverpool would have felt the pressure at kick-off to keep themselves in the race for the Champions League spots, a bare minimum expectation at the start of what has been a testing campaign for the champions
Liverpool boss  : "It was good, a tough game, we knew that before and we had to work hard, and we did that
 Yes, they had their moments in counter-attacking situations, where it was tricky for us
"They don't give up, they go and go and go
 We had good moments, I liked our switches, they were really brave
I thought we controlled it better tonight
 It was really hard for Southampton, and hard for us as well
 We had to be really careful
 We won the game, and that's all that counts
"On Mane and Thiago scoring: "Very important
 If you'd asked me I'd love everyone to score, but probably these are two who needed it most
"Southampton boss : "I think we had maybe the bigger chances today
 But we couldn't score, and you cannot win
 This was the difference today
 We showed some good, brave football today, kept the game open
"When you don't take the chances, it's difficult
 We really played well, and to create so many chances against Liverpool is not normal
 It was a good balance in the game, we tried to be brave today
"Liverpool now go to Manchester United on Thursday night in their rearranged fixture at 8
15pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League, before going to West Brom on Super Sunday at 4
30pm, also on Sky Sports Premier League
Southampton now host Crystal Palace on Tuesday night at 8
15pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League, before hosting Fulham at 3pm on Saturday, also live on Sky Sports Premier League
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