Solitary Mane Goal Extends Liverpool's Run

A solitary Sadio Mane goal saw Liverpool extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to 13 points thanks to a hard fought 1-0 victory over Wolves at Anfield.

After such a hectic period of games, the Reds looked laboured for much of the game against a team who had made wholesale changes from their victory over Manchester City on Friday night.

The European Champions, donning their World Champions patch on their jerseys, made only one change from the team that won away to Leicester on Thursday; Adam Lallana replacing Naby Keita, with the teams shape changing from 433 to 4231.

Klopp’s team, with the midlands side sitting very deep in their compact 541 shape, struggled to create any substantive chances and their best efforts were a blazed shot from Georginio Wijnaldum and a similarly overcooked effort from Mohamed Salah.

Lallana and Salah almost knitted an intricate move together on the right hand side, only for their efforts to be halted by the offside flag.

It looked as if the Reds would be frustrated going into half time, but VAR took centre stage once again when Liverpool, after consultation, were awarded a goal and Wolves, who equalised soon after, had their effort chalked off.

Virgil van Dijk’s long pass found the run of Lallana inside the box. The Englishman, via his shoulder, directed the ball towards Sadio Mané who finished with conviction past Rui Patricio. VAR checked for both offside and handball but it was conclusively proven that the goal was legally scored.

Undeterred, Wolves pushed on in search of a leveller and it looked to all like they had scored one only moments after Mané had given the Reds the lead.

Pedro Neto, the young Portuguese forward, then swept a shot past Alisson; but VAR showed that Joao Moutinho, whose pull back across the box assisted Neto at the back post, was offside in the build up and the goal was disallowed.

Wolves manager Nuno Espírito Santo was booked for his protestations as the half time whistle sounded among scenes of controversy.

Liverpool’s play, showing signs of fatigue, lost intensity in the second half and the visitors played their way into the game. With three changes, including the dangerous duo of Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez, the team clad in gold manufactured several half chances but failed to test Alisson in goal.

Moutinho, Traore, Ruben Vinagre and Ruben Neves all blasted over the bar when finding themselves in decent areas outside the box.

The Reds, though, with James Milner, Keita and Divock Origi being introduced to provide an impetus and freshness held on for the win that made it 50 Premier League games undefeated at Anfield for Jurgen Klopp.

Subs not used: Adrian, Jones, Elliott, Williams.