Mohamed Salah's Penalty Propels Liverpool to Premier League Summit with Victory Over Wolves
Prince Jean
Sep 28, 2024
Salah's Penalty Secures Liverpool's Return to Premier League Summit with 2-1 Victory Over Wolves.Credit:gettyimages
Liverpool reclaimed their place at the top of the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Wolves, courtesy of Mohamed Salah's decisive second-half penalty. The win at Molineux came after Ibrahima Konate's first Premier League goal gave the visitors an early lead, only for Wolves' Rayan Ait-Nouri to equalize, capitalizing on defensive errors.
Arne Slot's side took advantage of Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Newcastle, leapfrogging both City and Arsenal to regain the top spot. Despite Wolves' spirited performance, they remain winless this season and anchored at the bottom of the table.
Wolves began the match energetically but were soon troubled by defensive lapses. Alisson was forced to deny Matheus Cunha early on, and although Wolves showed promise, their inability to convert strong starts into wins continued to plague them.
Liverpool gradually asserted control and came close to breaking the deadlock five minutes before halftime. Virgil van Dijk's precise pass found Diogo Jota on the right, whose low cross was met by Dominik Szoboszlai. However, Sam Johnstone's impressive save kept the scores level.
The breakthrough came in first-half stoppage time when Jota skillfully bypassed Jorgen Strand Larsen to deliver a perfect cross for Konate. The defender outjumped Toti Gomes to power a header past Johnstone, who could have done more to stop it.
Early in the second half, Salah had a golden chance to double Liverpool’s lead but missed an open goal following Mario Lemina’s misplaced pass. Wolves equalized in the 56th minute when Ait-Nouri fired in from close range after Carlos Forbs' mishit shot.
However, parity was short-lived. Just five minutes later, Nelson Semedo's foul on Jota resulted in a penalty, which Salah coolly converted to restore Liverpool's lead and secure the win.