Liverpool’s Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah scores the team’s second goal from the penalty spot during the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on September 28, 2024. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Mohamed Salah fired Liverpool to the top of the Premier League as the Egypt star’s penalty sealed a 2-1 win at struggling Wolves on Saturday.
Salah struck in the second half after Rayan Ait Nouri had cancelled out Ibrahima Konate’s opener for Liverpool.
Arne Slot’s side have won five of their six league games this season and sit one point clear of second placed Manchester City, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Newcastle earlier in the afternoon.
Slot insisted this week that Liverpool are yet to prove themselves title contenders, but the Dutchman has made a strong impression at the start of the post-Jurgen Klopp era at Anfield.
Since their shock home loss to Nottingham Forest, the Reds have reeled off four successive victories in all competitions.
Liverpool fans packed into one side of Molineux chanted Slot’s name loudly as the final minutes wound down on their latest win.
The 46-year-old has masterminded one of the best starts to a managerial reign in Liverpool history. If they continue at this pace it will be hard for even Slot to deny their title credentials.
The only concern for Slot was a late injury to Andrew Robertson that forced the Scotland left-back to limp off.
“The first 20 minutes weren’t great. It was a real tough start for us but eventually we took control of the game and scored the first goal,” Slot said.
“Wolves have a really good game plan for every opponent and it was the same for us. It’s always nice to win, especially away.”
Liverpool, who last won the title in 2020, host Bologna in their second Champions League fixture on Wednesday before travelling to Crystal Palace in next weekend.
Winless and bottom of the table, Wolves were weakened even further by a virus which had ripped through their squad this week.
Given their dire circumstances, Gary O’Neil’s team competed gamely in the first half.
Matheus Cunha’s curler tested Alisson Becker on the Liverpool keeper’s return from injury.
But Wolves keeper Sam Johnstone had to make a superb save when he spread himself to block Dominik Szoboszlai’s close-range effort from Robertson’s cross.
Salah strikes
Without a clean-sheet in their previous 17 league games, Wolves couldn’t hold out forever and Konate broke the deadlock in first half stoppage-time.
Jota did well to whip over a pin-point cross from the left and Konate timed his run perfectly to power his header past Johnstone’s weak attempted save from six yards.
It was the French centre-back’s first goal in the Premier League after three years with Liverpool.
Salah wasted a golden opportunity to double Liverpool’s advantage early in the second half.
Mario Lemina took a pass from Johnstone on the edge of his own area and carelessly conceded possession to Salah, who shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
Wolves capitalised on that escape to equalise thanks to shambolic Liverpool defending in the 56th minute.
Konate tried to let the ball run for a goal-kick after a miscommunication with Alisson, but Jorgen Strand Larsen nudged him out of the way and picked out Carlos Forbs.
Liverpool again failed to deal with the danger after Forbs couldn’t convert and Ait-Nouri finally stabbed home from close-range.
But Liverpool were unbeaten in their last 141 Premier League matches when leading at half-time dating back to 2016 against Bournemouth.
Slot’s team hit back emphatically in the 61st minute as Jota was pushed over in the area by Nelson Semedo as the pair challenged for Alexander-Arnold’s cross.
Salah stepped up to smash the penalty past Johnstone for his fifth goal this season.
Konate redeemed himself for his earlier mistake with a last-ditch tackle to deflect Forbs’ shot over after the forward surged through on goal.
AFP