Thanks to Manchester City’s draw, Liverpool seized the opportunity; practical, effective, and victorious in their visit to Wolverhampton, where they claimed the win and the top spot with a penalty awarded for a foul on Diogo Jota, converted by Mohamed Salah just after the hour mark, right after conceding the equalizer at 1-1.

It was a key play in a match that didn't quite reflect the usual level of Arne Slot's team, who struggled at times against their opponent. However, Liverpool was more precise when it mattered, first taking the lead just before halftime and then, while the home crowd was still celebrating the equalizer, they quickly bounced back to secure a more than valuable win.

Although Wolverhampton sits at the bottom of the table and hasn’t won yet this season, they aren’t an easy opponent. Whether they sit back or counter-attack, or press Liverpool like they did at the start of the match, they managed to limit a team of Liverpool’s caliber to almost nothing in attack, not even registering a shot on goal until after the 20-minute mark.

Around the half-hour mark, Liverpool woke up, looking more threatening as they circulated around the opponent’s area until they finally created a real chance in the 39th minute, with a shot from Szoboszlai that usually finds the back of the net 90% of the time. But not this Saturday, as Sam Johnstone made a fantastic and fortunate save.

Just before halftime, in the 46th minute of stoppage time, Konaté made his presence felt with a powerful header after being too unmarked, turning Diogo Jota's cross into a 0-1 lead. This time, Johnstone had no chance; the header was well-placed and too close to deflect.

Two chances, one goal for Liverpool, who got tangled up at the start of the second half and conceded the equalizer at 1-1. The previous goalscorer was now at fault: Konaté mishandled the ball in his area, perhaps expecting an unusual play from Alisson. Strand Larsen took advantage of the mistake. After a couple of rebounds, Ait Nouri tapped in the equalizer, signaling a new match that didn’t really materialize.

Almost immediately afterward came the decisive penalty. A cross into the area from Mohamed Salah found Diogo Jota, who was clearly pulled down by Nelson Semedo. There’s some debate about the force of the pull; was it enough to bring him down? The referee didn’t hesitate to point to the spot. The VAR confirmed it. Salah stepped up to take the penalty and scored, giving Liverpool the top spot in the league, one point ahead of City and Arsenal.