LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) -Liverpool extended their lead on top of the Premier League to seven points with a trickier-than-expected 2-1 win over lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday courtesy of goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah.
The Reds looked to be cruising at 2-0 after Diaz bundled in on 15 minutes and won a penalty later in the half for strike partner Salah to convert with ease – a 23rd league goal for the league’s leading marksman.
But Wolves, fighting for their lives near the bottom of the table, gave them a few frights and punished Liverpool for a sloppy second half when Matheus Cunha curled a low shot brilliantly past Alisson in the 67th minute.
In an edgy finale at a relatively subdued Anfield, Arne Slot’s men held on for the win, taking them to 60 points and still on track for the Premier League title with nearest rivals Arsenal on 53. Both teams have 13 games left.
Wolves are 17th on 19 points, two above the drop zone.
Although Liverpool were far from their best, especially in a nervy second half, victory was a huge relief after a week of unusual slip-ups including an FA Cup defeat by second-tier Plymouth and a last-gasp equaliser for Everton against them in the league.
In the first half, the Reds looked comfortable after Diaz slotted home when Toti Gomes’ attempted clearance dropped kindly for him. The speedy Colombian was then brought down by Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa for Salah to do what he always does – score easily from the spot – in the 37th minute.
Cunha was by far Wolves’ best player and had put a free kick just over before his glorious effort from outside the box had the away fans dreaming of a comeback.
“We just managed to dig deep,” Liverpool defender Andy Robertson said. “The second half was a slog … everyone gets nervous. But it’s a massive win for us and another game down.”
(Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne;Editing by Ed Osmond)
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