Salah helps the Reds stay top of the tree

after a superb passing move which ended with Romain Saiss homing in on goal.

Saiss got his shot in but once more Alisson was wise to it even though it took a wicked deflection off Dejan Lovren on its way.

Liverpool suddenly decided enough was enough and broke the deadlock when Sadio Mane linked up superbly with Fabinho to unpick the Wolves defence.

Fabinho played the ball to Mane and then raced on to receive it back before sliding a perfect low cross towards the edge of the six-yard box where Salah was lurking.

You really can’t give a player of his class that kind of room and he cashed in, stabbing home with the outside of his left foot.

Despite the setback, Wolves still threatened before the break. First Jonny was put through by Traore but, with Alisson left exposed, he failed to curl it away from the Brazilian’s grasp.

Liverpool looked more at home after the break and the Egyptian magician played a big hand in setting up Van Dijk’s clincher.

He looped a ball over from the edge of the box and the Dutch ace did the rest, taking the ball before it dropped and sending a cushioned left-foot volley into the net.

Wolves ran out of answers, after sub Morgan Gibbs-White blasted into the sidenetting with the goal at his mercy.

Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Saiss, Neves, Moutinho (Gibbs-White 63), Jonny (Vinagre 81); Traore (Cavaleiro 63), Jimenez.

Subs: Ruddy, Costa, Dendoncker, Bonatini.

Alisson; Milner, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson; Mane (Clyne 87), Keita (Lallana 58), Salah; Firmino (Wijnaldum 76).

Subs: Mignolet, Sturridge, Shaqiri, Origi.

Craig Pawson.