Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League on Saturday evening as they defeated Wolves 2-1 at Molineux, capitalizing on a slip-up from Manchester City earlier in the day.
The visitors grew into the game following a positive start by Wolves, and after Dominik Szoboszlai missed the best chance of the first half from Andrew Robertson‘s cross, Ibrahima Konaté headed past Sam Johnstone in stoppage time after he was found by Diogo Jota.
Liverpool came close to doubling the lead after the restart when Mohamed Salah disrupted the home side playing out from the back, but the Egypt international couldn’t direct the ball on target despite the open goal. Wolves found themselves an equalizer through Rayan Aït-Nouri after Jorgen Strand Larsen forced an error following a mix-up between Konaté and Alisson, though parity only lasted for five minutes after Salah scored from the penalty spot.
Konaté made amends for his part in the mix-up with a crucial block on Wolves substitute Carlos Forbs, who looked set to strike from a dangerous position after turning past Trent Alexander-Arnold. Liverpool had a chance to put the game out of sight when Curtis Jones charged down a pass to create a counter-attack, only for Salah to under-hit his pass which allowed Wolves to clear.
Despite the home side looking to get an equalizer late-on, they weren’t able to create any further chances against a solid Liverpool defensive performance.
Positives
Liverpool were impressive defensively aside from a mix-up at the back that led to the equalizer, while they also made the most of their positive moments throughout the game. The Reds are now top of the Premier League table.
Negatives
Salah wasn’t quite at his best despite scoring from the spot, with his passing not at its usual level on the day. Liverpool also won’t be happy in the manner they conceded in the one sloppy moment which Konaté should have just cleared the ball.
Manager rating (1-10)
Arne Slot, 7 — The Liverpool manager responded well to early pressure in the game as the Reds began to establish themselves and create a regular run of chances. Used his substitutes well, with all three making an impact when brought on.
Player ratings (1-10; 10: best. Players introduced after 70 minutes receive no rating)
GK Alisson, 5 — A straightforward save saw Alisson deny Matheus Cunha during a first half in which he didn’t have much to do. Got caught in two minds during a mix-up with Konate which led to Wolves equalizer.
DF Andrew Robertson, 7 — Delivered an excellent cross into the box in the 40th minute and was unlucky not to assist the opener after Szoboszlai hit the ball straight at the goalkeeper. Showed good signs of link-up play with Luis Díaz.
DF Virgil van Dijk, 7 — Anticipated danger well and dominated in the air. Transitioned the ball impressively when Liverpool began to play a higher line. Organized his side well when Liverpool were defending out the rest of the game.
DF Ibrahima Konaté, 8 — Put an end to a Wolves counter-attack at the end of the first half with a strong challenge on Cunha, and then scored the opener with a powerful header that goalkeeper Johnstone couldn’t keep out. Tried to hold off Strand Larsen to allow Alisson to collect the ball, but was dispossessed when he didn’t come before Wolves equalized. Made amends with a crucial block on Forbs who was about to strike at goal uncontested later on in the half.
DF Trent Alexander-Arnold, 5 — A silly decision to kick the ball away saw Alexander-Arnold booked in the seventh minute. Could have done better with his attempt from a free-kick that was hit straight at the goalkeeper. Beaten too easily by Forbs in the second half, though couldn’t make a challenge due to his earlier booking.
MF Ryan Gravenberch, 8 — Rarely put a foot wrong across the 90 minutes as he transitioned the ball into Liverpool’s attackers consistently and worked hard when chasing back during Wolves counter-attacks. Confident in possession and was able to relieve pressure by taking on his marker. A neat touch allowed him to burst into the Wolves penalty area, but he failed to execute the cut-back.
MF Alexis Mac Allister, 7 — A consistent performance from Mac Allister saw him at the heart of Liverpool’s best phases of possession, and he took up intelligent positions across the match where he displayed his range of passing.
MF Dominik Szoboszlai, 5 — Positive when driving with possession through the middle of the pitch and got into promising positions, but his final ball could have been better at times. Should have scored when connecting with Robertson’s cross in the first half.
FW Luis Díaz, 7 — An energetic performance from Díaz saw him look dangerous when in possession, and he consistently made the right decision with his passing to bring others into play. Often forced Wolves to commit two defenders to him.
FW Diogo Jota, 8 — Clever movement from Jota forced Wolves defenders to concentrate throughout the game, though he was booked for a foul on Mario Lemina after a VAR check. Found Konaté at the end of the half with a looping cross that only the France international could get to for the opener and then won Liverpool’s penalty after being brought down by Nélson Semedo.
FW Mohamed Salah, 6 — A quiet first half from Salah saw him wasteful with his passing overall in the first half, and after a positive touch he could have done more to make something happen before Toti Gomes got back into position. Made no mistake from the penalty spot as he struck with conviction past the goalkeeper, but an error during a counter-attack saw him make a mess of a return pass to Jones which could have put the game out of reach.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes = no rating)
Cody Gakpo (On for Diaz, 73″), N/R — Bright in possession and got himself out of trouble when under pressure before playing passes inside. Another strong showing from the Netherlands international.
Curtis Jones (Szoboszlai, 73″), N/R — Created a big chance moments after coming on after charging down a pass, but Salah couldn’t get the ball back to him on the counter-attack. A promising display from Jones, who gave his manager something to think about with his performance.
Joe Gomez (Robertson, 89″), N/R — On as Liverpool looked to secure the three points.
