The Premier League has seen a vigorous start from Liverpool as they ascended to the top position following a 2-1 victory against Wolves under the helm of Arne Slot. Manchester City and Arsenal might find a strong contender for the league in Liverpool who, post-Jürgen Klopp era, have demonstrated a commendable performance with five victories in six league games. The credit largely goes to the goals by Ibrahima Konate and Mohamed Salah which cushioned Liverpool’s lead in spite of Rayan Ait-Nouri’s strike favouring Wolves.
The hiccup against Nottingham Forest is their solitary fall as their positive announcement in the Champions League and the Carabao Cup have most likely made Slot’s beginning impressive. However, there is still a long way to go in order to determine their potential.
Wolves, on the other hand, continue their struggle for their first victory this season, being at the receiving end. Manager Gary O’Neil though remains positive despite their unfavourable start, acknowledging that they will have to register a win soon.
For the Wolves, even though the outcomes have not been favourable, their overall performances have been promising. They even managed to pose some considerable competition against Liverpool. It was only during the 20-minute mark did Wolves start to become shaky as Matheus Cunha’s splendid effort was thwarted by Alisson Becker.
The latter part of the match saw Sam Johnstone standing tall for Wolves as he pulled off two key saves. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick was nullified quite primly, yet it was his second act that could be considered for the save of the season. With Dominik Szoboszlai in perfect position to seal the goal, it was Johnstone’s timely intervention that saved the day for Wolves. However, this wasn’t enough to deliver a win for the Wolves who still await their first victory of the season.
In spite of Johnstone’s exceptional save with his leg, his effort fell short when he was overpowered during the injury time in the first half. To his dismay, Diogo Jota, a former Wolves forward, assisted Konate in scoring a header by delivering a perfect cross from the left. This turn of events was unfortunate for the Wolves, particularly as they almost let Liverpool score a second goal in the early second half.
A risky move of passing straight to Salah by Mario Lemina, while the goal was unguarded, led to Salah missing an opportunity due to a wide shot. However, it was the generous play by Liverpool’s defence that enabled the Wolves to level the scores in the 56th minute. Konate believed he was covering a long through ball for Alisson to collect, yet Alisson had other plans. Jorgen Strand Larsen took advantage of this, and following a scramble, Ait-Nouri succeeded in scoring from close range.
This was just the confidence boost the Wolves needed, yet their joy was short-lived – not even lasting five minutes. Soon after they levelled, Nelson Semedo fouled Jota in the penalty area, and Salah utilised this chance to score from the penalty spot.
Despite their determination and fighting spirit, the Wolves fell short of creating a stronger opportunity to level the score than the one Carlos Forbs had, but his shot was impressively blocked by Konate, making up for his previous mistake.