Liverpool’s impressive start under Arne Slot continued as they moved to the top of the Premier League after a 2-1 win at Wolves.
Life after Jurgen Klopp is not turning out to be too bad as Ibrahima Konate’s header and a Mohamed Salah penalty either side of Rayan Ait-Nouri’s equaliser made it five wins from six league games.
Defeat at home to Nottingham Forest a fortnight ago remains their only blip as they have also won in the Champions League and Carabao Cup in a promising beginning to Slot’s reign.
It is early days, but the evidence suggests they have the capacity to challenge for the title alongside Manchester City and Arsenal.
🔴 @LFC win on the road to go top of the table! pic.twitter.com/NGqUMZcGoq
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 28, 2024
Wolves’ expectations are much lower as their wait for a first win of the season goes on. Circumstances and fixtures have not been kind in the opening six games, but boss Gary O’Neil knows wins will have to come soon.
Their performances have not been as bad as results have suggested and they again settled well, keeping Liverpool at arm’s length, even if they had to endure some nervy moments playing out from the back.
They enjoyed a good spell after 20 minutes when several balls went into the box before Matheus Cunha saw a curling effort plucked out of the air by Alisson Becker.
But it was the goalkeeper at the other end that was kept busier as Sam Johnstone produced two important saves.
The first was a routine stop to collect a low Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick, but the second could be a contender for save of the season.
Liverpool got in down the left in the 40th minute and Andrew Robertson put it on a plate for Dominik Szoboszlai, with an inviting cross that only needed tapping in from five yards out.
47'' – Ibou Konate powers a header into the Wolves net from a Diogo Jota cross! 🙌 https://t.co/xOr8V1PtLe
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 28, 2024
However, Johnstone flung himself across goal and somehow kept the ball out with his leg.
But the England international will be disappointed as he was beaten in first-half injury time.
Former Wolves forward Diogo Jota clipped in an inviting cross from the left and Konate rose highest to power a header past Johnstone, who got a good hand to it.
It was a killer time for Wolves to concede and they nearly handed their hosts a second in the opening exchanges of the second half.
Some more risky playing out from the back saw Mario Lemina pass straight to Salah but, with the goal unguarded, he fizzed an effort wide.
And it was some equally generous play from Liverpool’s defence at the other end which saw Wolves equalise in the 56th minute.
Strand Larsen does brilliantly to keep the ball alive at the byline, he finds Forbs whose deflected shot lands at the feet of Ait-Nouri to fire home from a matter of yards. #WOLLIV https://t.co/kkoiJFflEh
— Wolves (@Wolves) September 28, 2024
Konate thought he was shielding an overhit through ball for Alisson to collect, but the goalkeeper did not come for it, with Jorgen Strand Larsen nipping in, and after a scramble Ait-Nouri converted from close range.
It was just the tonic Wolves needed but they were level for less than five minutes.
Two-and-a-half minutes after the equaliser Nelson Semedo hauled down Jota in the penalty area and Salah converted from the spot.
Wolves showed plenty of heart and spirit but they could not forge a better chance to equalise than the one that saw Carlos Forbs’ shot brilliantly blocked by Konate as he atoned for his earlier error.
Interim boss Stephen Frail expects Motherwell to appoint a new manager next week and admits their first job will be to lift the players’ confidence after a 3-0 mauling at home to Ross County.A double from Ronan Hale and Connor Randall’s last-minute strike secured an impressive victory for the Staggies at Fir Park.Defeat sees the Steelmen drop into the bottom half of the Premiership tab...

Mark Hughes heaped praise on goalkeeper Gabe Breeze after Carlisle picked up a vital point in the League Two relegation battle with a goalless draw against in-form Colchester at Brunton Park.Breeze made two excellent saves from Lyle Taylor as the Cumbrians ended a four-game losing run and the former Man City boss was astounded by the 21-year-old’s performance.He said: “The game had som...

Chesterfield boss Paul Cook launched a scathing attack on his play-off hopefuls after they surrendered an early lead to lose 3-1 at Sky Bet League Two table-toppers Walsall.The Spireites enjoyed a rapid start when Jamie Grimes’ eighth-minute header put them ahead against a wobbling Walsall side, who were winless in five matches with the chasing pack closing in.However, Bim Pepple and Dylan D...

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has allayed fears of an injury scare to top scorer Erling Haaland ahead of next week’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid.Haaland went down clutching his leg in the latter stages of the champions’ 4-0 Premier League thrashing of Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and was immediately substituted.Losing the Norwegian would be a major blow to ...

Rotherham manager Steve Evans described Thomas Parsons’ performance as “atrocious” after the referee awarded a stoppage-time penalty from which Reading snatched a 2-1 victory in League One.Reading had led 1-0 at half-time through top scorer Harvey Knibbs but Sam Nombe levelled for Rotherham from a spot-kick in the 57th minute.With the game heading for a draw, Parsons adjudged Mil...

Michael Flynn believes his team can make a charge towards the League Two play-offs places after watching them come from 2-0 down to beat Barrow 3-2 at home.Matty Taylor scored twice before fellow substitute Ashley Hay hit the winner as the Robins continued their perfect home record in 2025.Cheltenham climbed to 13th in the table and sit eight points off seventh-placed Crewe with two games in hand....

Birmingham manager Chris Davies praised Jay Stansfield’s work ethic after he lit up St Andrew’s with the only goal of a 1-0 win to sink play-off chasing Charlton.Stansfield’s 23rd-minute strike stretched City’s lead to nine points ahead of second-placed Wycombe, with Blues boasting a game in hand.Victory was City’s 30th in all competitions as they extended their unbea...

Andoni Iraola refused to get carried away after Bournemouth fans were left dreaming of a potential Champions League adventure following a first league double over south-coast rivals Southampton.Travelling Cherries fans chanted of playing in European football’s premier competition next season after their side soared to fifth spot in the Premier League table thanks to a deserved 3-1 success at...

Norwich head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup praised his side for fighting back to draw 1-1 at Hull after he demanded “I want to see my football team back”.The Norwich boss had some tough words for his team as they trailed 1-0 at half-time to the relegation-threatened side, including for Kellen Fisher – but the player then delivered the assist for Josh Sargent’s equaliser.The Un...

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says Jota has a chance of starting against Bayern Munich after scoring and impressing in a 3-0 victory over Dundee United.Jota earned the club’s man-of-the-match award after cutting in from the left and curling home from 18 yards to double the lead given to the hosts by another impressive finish from Callum McGregor.The Portuguese winger has now started two gam...


