Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League as Mohamed Salah’s penalty proved the winner in a 2-1 victory over Wolves, despite a largely below-par performance from the visitors at Molineux.
Arne Slot’s side made a sluggish start and were second best for much of the first-half, but one moment of quality was enough for them to take a lead into the break. Diogo Jota curled a brilliant ball into the box, and Ibrahima Konate roses highest to power a header past Sam Johnstone. Mohamed Salah should have doubled the lead early in the second period, but fired wide of the empty goal as Wolves made a mess of playing out from the back.
It was incredibly comfortable for Liverpool, even in little more than second gear, and there had been little sign of a Wolves equaliser before it came just before the hour mark. Unsurprisingly it was scrappy, Konate failing to clear a ball in his own box and, after a bit of a scramble, it fell for Rayan Ait-Nouri to level the match up. Within seconds of the restart, though, the momentum was swiftly handed back. From a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross, Jota was wrestled to the ground by Nelson Semedo and the referee pointed to the spot, with Salah stepping up to send Johnstone the wrong way.