Key events
It’s time for me to go and read The Semiotics of Zero, so I’ll leave you with Will Unwin’s report from Molineux. Goodnight!
Liverpool reaction
Ibrahima Konate
Wolves were very good today. They started well and the first half was tough for us, but we got three points and we’re very happy with that. This is the Premier League – every game is hard. We lost concentration at times and we have to work on that.
Ryan Gravenberch
A team like Liverpool always has to be near the top, so we’ll keep pushing. [On his own form] I wanted to show myself and now I have to keep going. Being in the starting XI has given me confidence and I think I did really well.
“I’m sure,” says Peter Oh, “this result will generate zero speculation about a Liverpool title.”
Full time: Wolves 1-2 Liverpool
Liverpool are top of the Premier League! They were below their best at Molineux but had enough to win a fairly poor game. Ibrahim Konate headed them in front, Rayan Ait-Nouri equalised after a cock-up from Konate and Mo Salah scored the winner from the penalty spot.
90+4 min Gary Neville’s player of the match is Ryan Gravenberch, who has started the season so impressively as Liverpool’s No6.
90+3 min Gakpo slides a very inviting ball across the face of goal, but Alexander-Arnold knows he’s offside so he can’t touch it. Gakpo should probably have had a shot himself.
90+2 min Now Doyle’s deep cross is claimed with authority by the backpedalling Alisson. At least Wolves have had a few touches in the final third.
90+1 min Doyle’s clever backheel releases Forbs, whose cross from the right is headed away at the far post by Salah.
90 min Six minutes of added time.
89 min Apparently Wolves have had one touch in the final third in the last 19 minutes.
89 min: Liverpool substitution Andy Robertson goes off as a precaution, though he’s able to walk and looks okay. Joe Gomez replaces him.
88 min Forbs is booked for a poor tackle on Robertson, studs into the Achilles. Even though it wasn’t deliberate, in previous seasons he might have been sent off for that.
86 min Wolves’ fixture list does get a lot easier come November. The worry is that by then their morale will be through the floor. They pass the ball around at the back for 30 seconds or so, prompting Gary Neville to go on a rant about their lack of urgency.
83 min Robertson’s corner flashes across the face of goal and is fresh-aired by Jota, lurking beyond the far post. Liverpool keep the ball alive and Konate heads a cross over the bar. It was too high for him to control the header.
83 min An excellent cross from Jones, who has looked really sharp since coming on, is headed behind for another corner by Toti.
82 min Salah zips away from Ait-Nouri in the area, forcing Toti to come across and concede a corner.
81 min We know 2-1 is a precarious lead, almost as dangerous as 2-0, but it feels like Liverpool have the game under control. I can think of only one half chance for Forbs in the 20-odd minutes since Salah’s penalty.
80 min “Shirt numbers should be GUIDs,” says Richard Mullock. “That way every player in the world gets a globally unique identifier and we’ll have less of this distracting chat about who wears what. Trent wearing: ab7a01ea-6b28-444c-8107-cd531de9e8f1. I can see it now…”
Why would he be wearing an Aphex Twin song title?
78 min Jones combines nicely with Salah and drives an early shot towards the near post from 15 yards. Johnstone gets down smartly to his left to push it behind.
77 min: Wolves substitution Tommy Doyle replaces Santiago Bueno, which means a reshuffle of some description. Lemina might go into defence.
76 min The last man Semedo’s ball forward is charged down by Jones and ricochets kindly for Salah. Liverpool have a two on one but Salah’s pass towards Jones is peculiarly weak and Semedo cuts it out.
75 min Joao Gomes punches the ball in frustration after being penalised. Talking of which, this’ll never get old.
74 min “For those who may wish to ponder such things, I would recommend The Semiotics of Zero by Brian Rotman,” says David Watters. “What else are you going to do with your Saturday night?”
I had been planning to watch Pine Barrens for the 492nd time, but maybe it’s time to embrace the new.
73 min: Double substitution for Liverpool Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones replace Luis Diaz and Dominik Szoboszlai.
72 min: Fine defending by Konate! A really good break from Wolves. Cunha slides a penetrative early pass to find the lively Forbs, playing on the left now. He chops inside Alexander-Arnold on the edge of the area and Konate comes across to deflect his shot behind for a corner. Hwang was unmarked at the far post but I don’t think Forbs saw him.
71 min The timing and manner of that penalty has knocked the stuffing out of Wolves, who look ripe for a knockout blow. They’ve got their chin in the air, is what I’m saying.
69 min “The Premier League luddite obsession with integers is a disgrace,” says Paul Griffin. “What’s wrong with the Chaitin Constant on the back of a shirt. I wouldn’t say the game’s gone but it’s tending toward zero.”
Believe it or not, this started out as a live blog of a football match.
68 min Cunha shoots tamely wide from the edge of the area after beating Alexander-Arnold.
Wolves substitution Hwang Hee-chan replaces Jorgen Strand Larsen.
65 min Salah cuts inside Ait-Nouri on the edge of the area and curls a decent shot towards the far corner. Johnstone palms it up in the air and grabs the dropping ball.
63 min “Yes the SFA,” begins Dylan Drummond, and that’s the nicest thing he’ll say about them, “still embarrassing Scotland in front of the whole world as usual, this time banning zero, probably in the hope that the scope of the ban could be extended to the number of goals Scotland usually score in a game of football.
“In other (quite old) news, in 1962 the SFA justified not entering the European Nations Cup qualification phase on the basis that Scotland ‘already had sufficient commitments, and could not possibly undertake to play any additional matches’. In 1962, Scotland played three Home Championship matches and one friendly. End of rant.”
I could happily read a few more paragraphs; you’re on fine form.
62 min Konate fouls Cunha and is booked. He’s gone from hero to… what’s that number again?
61 min “Zero is certainly considered a number now, but the Europeans managed without it until the 13c when it was introduced from the Hindu-Arabic number system,” says David Sutherland. “Not sure what they did about football games where no one scored…”
GOAL! Wolves 1-2 Liverpool (Salah 61 pen)
Mo Salah whips the penalty into the net, sending Johnstone the wrong way.
59 min: Penalty to Liverpool! Alexander-Arnold curls an inswinging cross towards Jota, who gets the wrong side of Semedo and is pulled over via the neck. Softish but this won’t be overturned; you can’t be putting your hand around someone’s neck, even tenderly.
