Liverpool could soon change Premier League narrative as quiet Arne Slot moves paying off
It was not the straightforward performance that would have seen Liverpool breeze through to victory, but it was the sign of a team that could be in contention for silverware this season that Arne Slot's side got over the line.
For the Reds, it was possibly no bad thing that Mohamed Salah and Alexis Mac Allister struggled for a while. In the end, the former netted the decisive goal of the game from the penalty spot and the latter improved sufficiently to ensure his side had enough control of the game to see it through. Plenty of others improved second half too.
No Liverpool player impressed that much for Slot's men — Ryan Gravenberch and others were good rather than scintillating — but at no point, even in arguably a below-par team showing, did they look likely to be beaten.
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Even in a game of few chances, Dominik Szoboszlai failed to score from an almost open goal chance and it took an error from Ibrahima Konate — excellent in the main aside from that — to allow Wolves a route back into the match. Gary O'Neil's side, though it kept the scoreline close, was managed sufficiently.
It was a result that brought Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League standings, and one that further underlined the fact that the Nottingham Forest defeat was nothing more than a blip. Indeed, that too was another below-par performance, but one that ended differently because of a wondergoal.
Liverpool was better than that here, but not at its peak. And, ultimately, it didn't matter. Returning to the side after a couple of games out injured, Alisson Becker had very little to do. And that is a key difference from last season.
Even when Liverpool was not at its very best, the Reds never looked in any massive danger. There was no end-to-end chaos and while it took a while for the chances to come, they eventually did.
The noise, even with Liverpool top of the pile, is all about Arsenal and Manchester City. Slot might not be against that, even though it won't last — not least because the Reds are scheduled to play the Gunners at the Emirates in just under a month.
If Liverpool is still near the top at that point — with only Crystal Palace and Chelsea to play before then in the Premier League because of the international break — then it will no doubt be built up as a barometer.
The next task is to ensure that while the hype hasn't arrived yet — and Liverpool will be in no rush for it to be — that it does come before next month is out: by continuing to quietly collect regular victories.