Liverpool had not scored just once in a Premier League game since the first day of the season. In fact, with Wolverhampton Wanderers being tenacious, obstinate, and occasionally threatening, Liverpool appeared to be on their way to their first scoreless league match since Manchester United's visit to Anfield in January. Then, in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Mohamed Salah sped past must-see substitute Ki-Jana Hoever and crossed low. Divock Origi gathered his weapons, swiveled, and fired past Jose Sa. They may have only scored one goal, but it was enough to earn them three points.
Chelsea's defeat at West Ham and Manchester City's late start at Watford meant the three points leapfrogged Liverpool to the top of the table, but even that pleasure was short-lived.
Despite the fact that Wolves was their third game in a week and that a midweek trip to Milan, albeit a meaningless one for Liverpool, loomed, manager Jurgen Klopp kept the same starting XI that thrashed Everton.
A long string of gentle fixtures helps. Wolves began the game in seventh place, despite two goalless draws, and the first period would also be goalless. Adama Traore began with the intention of thwarting Andrew Robertson's advances, but at one point he embarked on a crowd-pleasing diagonal run that brought him into Trent Alexander-orbit. Arnold's They dominated midfield, where Ruben Neves was preferred over Joao Moutinho, with crisp passes and aggressive pressing.
Liverpool tried to take stock, but the fervent crowd sucked them into the frenetic early maelstrom.
Sadio Mane, of all people, stepped up to help Robertson until Thiago stepped up, and when they did create a chance after Thiago's cross sailed over Rayan Ait-Nouri, Alexander-Arnold volleyed wildly over.
After creating an opening, Liverpool began to tighten the screws, and the Wolves storm subsided. Jordan Henderson directed operations as if he were an auteur, and Fabinho took over the heavy lifting. Just after the half-hour mark, Alexander-Arnold improved with a cute, dinked cross to the back post, which Diogo Jota headed just wide. The tension grew. Robertson advanced, sending in a low, hard cross into the six-yard box that eluded the onrushing Mane. Mohamed Salah appeared to be on his way to a tap-in, only to be brilliantly robbed by Romain Saiss.
Wolves served notice that they were not yet extinct on the eve of half-time, when Ait Nouri rolled a daisycutter towards Traore. Alisson didn't deal with it as well as he should have, but the ball went wide.
Traore began to drift infield, and he was so unplayable in the second half that two Liverpool players were booked for hacking him down. He spun around Virgil Van Dijk shortly after the break to set up Hwang Hee-Chan, but the South Korean stumbled under Alexander-attentions. Arnold's
Liverpool were not at their best, but they kept edging closer, and when a Salah mishit found Thiago waiting to pounce, the Spaniard had three chances. The first was blocked by Raul Jimenez, the second was saved by Jose Sa with his feet, and the third sailed wide.
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