Jürgen Klopp spoke of a point gained, of a performance undermined by a dry pitch and a penalty missed following a spot of gamesmanship by Southampton’s players and particularly their goalkeeper, Fraser Forster. Only time – and rivals’ results – will determine whether the Liverpool manager was clutching at straws but judgment does not have to wait on his team’s pursuit of Champions League qualification. They are scrambling towards the line at Anfield.

Should Liverpool secure a top-four finish, and they remain in control of that destiny, it will not be courtesy of Fortress Anfield, having taken two points from the last nine available on home soil. Southampton emerged unscathed from a confrontation with Klopp’s team for the fourth time this season and with a fourth clean sheet after Forster denied James Milner from the penalty spot. Liverpool were laboured in their passing – a failing their manager attributed to the condition of the pitch – their movement and their finishing. A dry pitch cannot be blamed for all three flaws.

“Before the game I said we needed three more wins and so now I would say two would not be bad,” Klopp said. “It makes sense that we now concentrate on West Ham. We are still fighting and nobody has given up or anything like this. I spoke immediately to the boys after the game – I cannot and don’t want to take away the disappointment – but what I said is that we have one point more than before. The best manager I had and the most experienced said always at the end of the season the point will be really welcome. I believe this. Now we have to analyse this game. We will do it one more time and then speak about it and start the preparations for West Ham.”

Claude Puel may have his problems at St Mary’s, where his team were booed off after last weekend’s goalless draw at home to Hull City, but he has had Liverpool’s number this season. The first half was a non-event with only the referee Robert Madley’s decision-making rousing the Anfield crowd as Liverpool, not for the first time this season, found Southampton a disciplined, organised and immovable obstacle.

Puel’s team showed only limited intent as an attacking force and spent most of a sun-kissed afternoon on Merseyside sitting deep and absorbing pressure. They did so comfortably thanks in large measure to a central midfield trio of Steven Davis, Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse. Southampton’s midfield core stuck diligently to the task of protecting their defence while tracking Liverpool’s runs from deep, and the home side lacked the ideas and movement to find a route through to Forster’s goal.

When they did escape the trio’s shackles, and Roberto Firmino was the only forward able to do so before the introduction of Daniel Sturridge, Liverpool’s attempts on goal were straight at the Southampton goalkeeper. With even Philippe Coutinho’s touch deserting him on occasions, the contest was another fierce examination of Anfield’s patience.

Klopp’s team were handed a glorious opportunity to end the stalemate and enhance their Champions League prospects midway through the second half by Jack Stephens. The Southampton defender has flourished in the absence of the injured Virgil van Dijk and was enjoying another assured display here when he conceded a needless penalty. Stephens beat Divock Origi in the air as they challenged in the area for a Lucas Leiva cross but, as they jostled for the second ball with Emre Can and Maya Yoshida in attendance, the defender nudged the ball clear with his elbow.

Madley had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Southampton argued long and hard over the decision with Forster doing his utmost to unsettle Milner as he prepared to take the kick. He succeeded. The converted left-back struck his penalty hard and low but the England international goalkeeper read his intentions perfectly and produced a fine save to his right. Milner’s first miss from eight penalties this season could not have arrived at a worse time for Liverpool.

“The penalty is harsh,” argued Puel. “Jack turns and the ball falls on his arm but it was too harsh to concede a goal against this penalty. It was an important save. For me it was not a penalty. On the other side we could have had a sending off for [Simon] Mignolet when he touched the ball outside his box.”

Klopp countered: “You saw what they did. I understand how you should handle a situation like this. On one side you people will say it is very smart because he missed and on the other people will say it is not sportsmanship. Whatever I say we always look like bad losers or whatever.”

The Liverpool manager went for broke straight after Milner’s miss, introducing Adam Lallana and Sturridge for Lucas and Origi respectively. The threat level increased marginally but Forster was equal to everything that came his way. One save from Coutinho was routine, so too a tame effort from Sturridge after the striker had created space for himself superbly inside the area, but in added time he made an excellent stop to tip over the substitute Marko Grujic’s header from a Milner cross. It was left to Arsenal to lift Liverpool’s day.