Mohamed Salah extended his extraordinary goalscoring run at Anfield as Liverpool went top of the Premier League for the first time since November 2016 with a disjointed 1-0 win over Brighton.
The last occasion was after a 6-1 demolition of Watford but there were no such fireworks this time, although Jurgen Klopp’s side capitalised on Manchester City’s draw at Wolves to maintain their 100 per cent record with a third successive win.
It maintained a 16-month undefeated league run at home, where they have now scored 20 goals without reply – their best run since they hit 20 in a row in 1987-88.
Salah’s precision strike, his 29th in as many home matches since joining the club, was all it required, curling a low shot inside the far post in the 23rd minute.
Leon Balogun, who made his first Premier League start, could do little about the Reds goal.
Wolves manager showed courage after holding Manchester City to a draw at Molineux.
Pep Guardiola’s side came here on the back of convincing victories at Arsenal and at home to Huddersfield Town – but were given a severe test by the team who won the Championship last season.
In an eventful match, City hit the woodwork twice in the first half – first, through Sergio Aguero, and then when Wolves keeper Rui Patricio brilliantly turned Raheem Sterling’s rising 25-yard drive onto the bar. Wolves striker Raul Jimenez also had a goal ruled out for offside.
The hosts took the lead in controversial fashion after 57 minutes when defender Willy Boly’s attempted diving header went in off his hand from Joao Moutinho’s free-kick.
City had appeals for a penalty turned away by referee Martin Atkinson after Ruben Neves’ challenge on David Silva, but drew level in the 69th minute when Aymeric Laporte scored his first goal for the club – a towering header from Ilkay Gundogan’s free-kick.
