Liverpool Rise to Premier League Top

Ibrahima Konate scored his first ever Premier League goal with a header, while Mohamed Salah scored from the penalty spot to fired Liverpool to the top of the Premier League table by beating struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 on Saturday.

Arne Slot’s men have 15 points after six games, a point more than both Manchester City and Arsenal, while Wolves prop up the table with just a single pint.
“Feels good to be top, you want to be up there but it doesn’t tell me that much at the moment,” he told Sky Sports. “If you look at Wolves they are down in the table but they played much better than that today.

“After 19 games, it’ll tell me something but not after six.”

Konate scored in first-half injury time after Diogo Jota beat his man down the left then served up a pinpoint cross that the 25-year-old centre back leapt to head home.

Wolves capitalised on some sloppy defending by Konate, though, to level in the 56th minute. The French centre back looked to be leaving the ball to run out for a goal kick but Jorgen Strand Larsen kept it in, and Rayan Ait-Nouri scored from close range.

Yet Salah silenced the celebratory home crowd at Molineux five minutes later as Liverpool were awarded a penalty – Nelson Semedo’s foul on Jota – Salah sending keeper Sam Johnstone the wrong way.

“I think a team like Liverpool has to be in the top four for sure; we keep pushing, we keep pushing, but it’s really early,” said Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch on Sky Sports after another stellar display from the Dutch midfielder.

“This year I wanted to show myself again and I am really happy. He gave me so much, put me into the starting 11, and gave me lots of confidence.”

A gilt-edged chance had been wasted by Dominik Szoboszlai as he met a cross from Andy Robertson, but Johnstone managed to parry the Hungarian’s effort from point-blank range.

The Reds had a few more chances in the dying minutes, including a corner that Konate headed over the bar and a shot to the bottom corner by Curtis Jones after a one-two with Salah that Johnstone saved.

Liverpool seal this win in a crazy period of the season, with Slot’s side thrashing West Ham United 5-1 in a League Cup third-round tie on Wednesday, while they host Bologna in a Champions League match in four days’ time.

Gary O’Neil’s struggling Wolves side have gone 18 games without a clean sheet, since a 1-0 win last February at Sheffield United. “They went toe-to-toe with one of the biggest clubs in the country,” said O’Neill. “I’m gutted for the lads with what they have given in the last six games, they deserve more points for what they have given.”

The captain of the Wolves was Mario Lemina, who cuts a distraught figure following the final whistle, pulling his shirt up and over his face before a couple of teammates arrive to console him. Aston Villa might yet draw level on points with the Reds at the summit on Sunday, should they win at the already relegated Ipswich Town, although Unai Emery’s side trail 10-3 on goal difference.