First place this early is virtually meaningless, says Liverpool manager Arne Slot
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Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring the winning goal from the penalty spot.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WOLVERHAMPTON – Liverpool manager Arne Slot is not getting carried away with his side topping the English Premier League standings after their 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sept 28, their fourth win in all competitions in less than two weeks.
Slot’s side have 15 points from six league games, one point more than reigning champions Manchester City and the 2023-24 season’s runners-up Arsenal.
The win at the Molineux was the latest in a string of solid results for Liverpool, who defeated AC Milan 3-1 in the Champions League, beat Bournemouth 3-0 in the league and then crushed West Ham United 5-1 in a League Cup third-round tie.
However, Dutch coach Slot insisted it did not mean Liverpool were definitely title challengers.
“I always try to be realistic and Jurgen’s work has been incredible, everybody knows this,” Slot said of former manager Jurgen Klopp, who stepped down after the 2023-24 season.
“Two years ago was the last time they played in the Champions League and they finished fifth. Now we have to prove that we can compete in the Champions League and the Premier League.
“After 19 games, it’ll tell me something but not after six.”
Ibrahima Konate scored in first-half added time after Diogo Jota beat his man down the left, then served up a pinpoint cross that the 25-year-old centre-back leapt to head home.
Wolves capitalised on some sloppy defending by Konate, however, to level in the 56th minute. The Frenchman appeared to be leaving the ball to run out for a goal kick but Jorgen Strand Larsen kept it in, and Rayan Ait-Nouri scored from close range.
But Mohamed Salah silenced the celebratory home crowd five minutes later when Liverpool were awarded a penalty for Nelson Semedo’s foul on Jota, with the Egyptian sending goalkeeper Sam Johnstone the wrong way.
“I think a team like Liverpool has to be in the top four for sure. We keep pushing, we keep pushing, but it’s really early,” Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch told Sky Sports after another impressive display.
“This season I wanted to show myself again and I am really happy. He (Slot) put me in the starting XI and gave me a lot of confidence.”
Konate teased Gravenberch during their post-game interviews that he deserved to be named Man of the Match and not the Dutchman, who was presented with the award.
However, Slot was not laughing.
“Konate? Then maybe he forgot the moment we conceded a goal,” the manager said. “That was the reason we conceded as he wasn’t there and it was avoidable.
“By conceding this way, they came back into the game and the good thing for us, is we immediately scored to make it 2-1. With only one goal making the difference, it makes it a difficult game until the end.”
Liverpool host Bologna in a Champions League match on Oct 2.
Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate scores their first goal.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Meanwhile, Gary O’Neil’s struggling Wolves side have gone 18 league games without a clean sheet, since a 1-0 win at Sheffield United seven months ago.
Wolves captain Mario Lemina looked distraught after the final whistle, pulling his shirt over his face before a couple of teammates arrived to console him.
Said O’Neil: “We lost control and went off the game plan when we scored – caught in the emotion of equalising and we got badly punished.
“It’s another game against tough opposition where we were us – we gave the best version of ourselves...
“You don’t want to keep it frantic and open against Liverpool. We got carried away and opened the game up too much, but apart from that there were loads of good bits.”
Defender Toti Gomes added: “We are not in a good phase, but we have to stick together. We have had tough defeats against big teams, but we are going to keep fighting and we have a lot to prove.
“I ask the fans to stick with us as we are going to keep improving.” REUTERS
