PLAYER RATING: Wolves 1-2 Liverpool: Konate’s two faces; Gravenberch has a peak performance

The Egyptian netted the winner from the penalty spot at Molineux as Arne Slot’s side made it five wins from six to start the season

For the first twenty minutes, Gary O’Neil’s team got out of the starting blocks faster than the Reds, but soon the visitors grabbed control, and Dominik Szoboszlai had a chance to put them ahead when he sent a close-range shot straight at Sam Johnstone.

But in stoppage time in the first half, Ibrahima Konate did not make the same error from a comparable position as he headed home Diogo Jota’s cross.

But early in the second half, the France defender changed from hero to villain as he failed to stop a pass that was dribbling towards the byline. Wolves subsequently capitalized on this situation when Rayan Ait-Nouri crashed into an empty net.

The hosts weren’t level for long, however, as Jota was fouled by Nelson Semedo in the penalty area, and Salah made no mistake despite having an otherwise forgettable evening.

We rates Liverpool’s players from Molineux…

Goalkeeper & Defence

Alisson Becker (6/10):

Back from injury and showed good hands on a number of occasions. Maybe could have helped out Konate for the Wolves goal, but wasn’t as much to blame as the defender.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (5/10):

Below his best as he cut a frustrated figure at times. Booked early for kicking the ball away, though did make a couple of strong defensive interventions.

Ibrahima Konate (6/10):

Excellent in dealing with Strand Larsen in the first half before powering home a header to open the scoring.

Looked lost for the first 20 minutes after the break, as he was at fault for the equaliser and then picked up a booking. Did recover to make a crucial block to deny Forbs when through on goal.

Virgil van Dijk (8/10):

Imperial at the heart of the Reds’ defence. Swept up when Wolves looked to get in behind and stepped in to make challenges and clearances on a regular basis. A real leader’s performance.

Andrew Robertson (6/10):

Combined well with Diaz down the left, but his final ball wasn’t always what he was looking for. Solid defensively.

Midfield

Ryan Gravenberch (8/10):

Gets better with every game. Barely lost possession in midfield as he proved press-resistant before playing some excellent passes.

Alexis Mac Allister (6/10):

Looked off the pace to begin with but grew into the game as it wore on. Eventually began to distribute well, particularly in the second half.

Dominik Szoboszlai (4/10):

Didn’t look up for it at all. Wasted a gilt-edged chance in the first half when he fired straight at Johnstone, and allowed Lemina to run off him for the Wolves equaliser. Will have better days.

Attack

Mohamed Salah (6/10):

Had a quiet first hour as Ait-Nouri did a good job in locking the Egyptian down. Made no mistake from the penalty spot, but did miss an earlier sitter and should have played Jones in to make it 3-1 with what looked to be a simple pass.

Diogo Jota (7/10):

Struggled to get into goal-scoring positions against his former club, but did play a big role in both goals, as he sent over a superb cross for Konate to head home before winning the penalty by getting the wrong side of Semedo.

Luis Diaz (7/10):

Carried the ball well and looked a threat whenever he got around the Wolves penalty area. Couldn’t keep his fine goal-scoring form going, however.

Subs & Manager

Cody Gakpo (6/10):

Replaced Diaz for the final 20 minutes but didn’t really offer much.

Curtis Jones (7/10):

Bright after coming on for Szoboszlai. Should have been played in by Salah and then tested Johnstone with a low effort.

Joe Gomez (N/A):

On for Robertson for the final couple of minutes.

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