Liverpool came back from going a goal down to defeat Wolves 3-1 at Molineux.
Mohamed Salah had a hat-trick of assists as Liverpool halted their noon losing streak with another thrilling comeback victory.
After Wolves took the lead after seven minutes through Hwang Hee-Chan, Salah – who had been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia during the transfer window – set up second-half goals for Cody Gakpo, stand-in captain Andy Robertson, and Harvey Elliott via a deflection to extend Wolves’ unbeaten league run to 16 games, dating back to April.
Liverpool came back from going a goal down to defeat Wolves 3-1 at Molineux
Given the unavailability of Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, as well as the fact that four of his squad only returned to training on Friday after playing World Cup qualifiers in South America, Jurgen Klopp will have been pleased with his team’s spirit despite a bad start to the game.
They have previously come back with only 10 men against Bournemouth and Newcastle this season, and Saturday’s success at Molineux was a stark contrast to last season, when they failed to win any of their six games that began at 12.30pm.
Wolves got off to a fast start against an unfamiliar Liverpool lineup and were rewarded after only seven minutes.
When home dominance paid off, debutant Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, signed on deadline day from Strasbourg, had already caused concern and Alexis Mac Allister was penalised for fouling Matheus Cunha.
On his first Premier League start, Pedro Neto went to the byline and fizzed a cross past Liverpool No78 Jarell Quansah.
Hwang-Hee Chan sidefooted at the far post, and while Alisson saved the ball, supporters didn’t need a beep from the referee’s watch to know it had crossed the line.
Hwang’s third league goal in four games matched his total for the whole season, while Neto’s fourth assist continued his strong play.
Liverpool appeared stunned by Wolves’ pace, and it appeared as though Klopp’s pre-match comments about the kick-off time were a self-fulfilling prophecy.
When Neto cut inside and fired wide, the visitors were relieved not to have conceded again. His matchup with Joe Gomez, who was struggling as Alexander-Arnold’s deputy, was a mismatch.
Liverpool’s body language was a source of concern, with Diogo Jota, who was booed by the Molineux supporters upon his return, and Mac Allister both expressing annoyance at the lack of movement around them.
Nonetheless, Klopp’s half-time team talk was made simpler by a terrific first-period finish.
Gakpo blew two chances, while Salah nearly capitalized on a clumsy punch from Sa as Michael Oliver was ready to blow for the break. The Egyptian’s shot was blocked by Mario Lemina, who was face-up on the ball, and Sa prevented Dominik Szoboszlai from shooting the rebound.
