Salah penalty sends Reds top of table above Man City

Mohamed Salah’s 61st-minute penalty sent Liverpool top of the Premier League above Manchester City as the Reds secured a fourth win in 11 days by beating winless Wolves 2-1 at Molineux.

Salah converted from the spot after Nelson Semedo was adjudged to have fouled Diogo Jota, giving his side their third away win from three in the top flight this season and moving them a point above the Cityzens, both having played six league games.

Rayan Ait-Nouri had capitalised on calamitous Liverpool defending to slot in and draw Wolves level five minutes earlier, replying to Ibrahima Konate’s headed opener from Jota’s cross during first-half added time.

Wolves remain bottom of the table with one point from six games, level with Southampton and two behind Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Crystal Palace, who are also yet to taste victory in 2024-25.

Liverpool restore their lead moments after conceding as Mo Salah converts from the spot 🎯 pic.twitter.com/6RAhjldU7Q

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 28, 2024

Wolves vs Liverpool: Salah goal

New Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed his disbelief after a 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest ended his perfect start to his tenure on September 14.

While this win over struggling opponents was arguably the least convincing of the consecutive wins he has inspired since then, Slot can now safely call that upset a blip.

Sloppy defending from Liverpool costs them their lead as Rayan Aït-Nouri levels for Wolves! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/EErECkyzK2

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 28, 2024

Dominik Szoboszlai had the best chance before Konate’s opener, meeting Andy Robertson’s 40th-minute cross with a lack of precision which allowed home goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to turn his effort around a post with a leg.

Wolves, who had taken the lead in their preceding league defeats to Aston Villa and Newcastle, had Konate’s slackness to thank when Ait-Nouri fired in, only for Salah’s spot kick to condemn them to a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions.

The power on that header 💥

Ibrahima Konaté with his first Premier League goal for Liverpool! 🔴 pic.twitter.com/OF10hhi4UT

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 28, 2024

A 3-1 comeback win at Milan in the Champions League was a stirring riposte by Liverpool in Slot’s first European game in charge, followed by three goals during the first half of a 3-0 home win over Bournemouth to banish the memories of that setback against Forest.

The visit of an out-of-form West Ham side in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday was always likely to be less testing than a trip to Wolves but a 5-1 thrashing of the Hammers meant Liverpool had plenty of cause for confidence before they won again to leapfrog City.

“We knew this was going to be difficult,” midfielder Ryan Gravenberch told BBC MOTD. “We gave the equaliser away because of miscommunication. This can happen in football but it won’t happen again.”

Liverpool are next in action at home to Bologna in the Champions League on Wednesday (8pm BST). Wolves visit Brentford in the Premier League on October 5 (3pm).