Liverpool, Feb 16 (IANS): Liverpool secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on Sunday, maintaining their seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

The hosts started brightly, with Diogo Jota and Trent Alexander-Arnold both testing Wolves' goalkeeper Jose Sa inside the opening 10 minutes. However, it was Luis Diaz who broke the deadlock in the 15th minute. A swift counter-attack involving all three of Liverpool's forwards saw Jota evade Matt Doherty and lay the ball off for Diaz, who bundled it past Sa after a slight deflection from Toti Gomes.

Liverpool’s dominance continued as they pressed for a second goal. Jota had a header go over the bar, saw a shot blocked by Gomes, and forced Sa into a save. Dominik Szoboszlai also came close, with a low shot narrowly missing the target. Mohamed Salah finally doubled the lead in the 37th minute, confidently converting a penalty after Diaz was brought down by Sa inside the box.

Wolves’ best chance in the first half came from Matheus Cunha, whose free-kick narrowly missed the target.

After the break, Wolves came out with renewed intent. They nearly pulled one back early on, but Alisson Becker stood strong, denying Marshall Munetsi in a one-on-one situation. Liverpool thought they had won another penalty when Jota was brought down by Emmanuel Agbadou, but VAR overturned the decision after a review.

Wolves did manage to halve the deficit in the 67th minute, as Cunha curled a beautiful shot from distance past Alisson to make it 2-1. The goal set up a nervy finish for Liverpool, with Wolves pressing for an equalizer. However, solid defending, including a crucial sliding tackle from Jarell Quansah to deny Tommy Doyle, ensured Liverpool held on for the win.

The league leaders now hold a seven point lead over second placed Arsenal but have a treacherous run of fixtures ahead of them with away trips to Aston Villa and Manchester City awaiting them before a home test against Newcastle United.