Florian Wirtz finally announced himself in the Premier League as his first goal in the competition sealed a tense 2-1 victory for Liverpool over bottom-placed Wolves at Anfield.
The German midfielder struck in the 42nd minute, poking the ball beyond José Sá to cap a devastating spell that saw Liverpool score twice in under two minutes.
Ryan Gravenberch had earlier broken the deadlock just 89 seconds before, putting the hosts firmly in control before half-time.
Liverpool were dominant in the opening period and could have been further ahead, with Hugo Ekitiké and Alexis Mac Allister both rattling the woodwork.
The breakthrough arrived when Jeremie Frimpong delivered a precise cutback for Gravenberch to finish calmly, before Wirtz showed great awareness to stay onside and convert Ekitiké’s incisive through ball.
Despite trailing, Wolves showed more fight after the break. Teenager Mateus Mané had already tested Alisson from distance in the first half, and the visitors carried that energy forward.
Santiago Bueno pounced when Alisson could only parry Tolu Arokodare’s powerful header, sparking nerves inside Anfield.
Wolves came close to salvaging a point late on, but Arokodare squandered a golden opportunity by heading Jackson Tchatchoua’s inviting cross over the bar, allowing Liverpool to breathe a sigh of relief.
The win moves Liverpool provisionally into fourth place, leapfrogging Chelsea, while Wolves’ nightmare season deepens. They remain 16 points from safety, rooted to the bottom of the table.
For Wirtz, the goal was a long-awaited milestone, arriving from his 21st shot and in his 17th Premier League appearance. The 21-year-old is now contributing consistently, having also provided an assist in last week’s 2-1 win at Tottenham.
However, Liverpool’s performance was far from dominant statistically, edging Wolves only narrowly in shots (14-9) and expected goals (1.56 to 1.07).
Meanwhile, Rob Edwards’ return to Wolves continues to unravel. He has now lost all seven matches since taking charge again, with the club’s run of 11 straight league defeats ranking among the worst in Premier League history.
With just two points from 18 games, Wolves have made the poorest start ever to a Premier League season, bettered only in the wider top-flight era by Bolton Wanderers’ 23-game wait for a first win in 1902-03.
