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Two goals from Fernando Torres and one from Raul Meireles, of which the vintage Liverpool would have been proud, gave the messiah they call Kenny Dalglish his first win of the second coming.

Wolves’s victory at Anfield in December put one of the nails in Roy Hodgson’s managerial coffin, but any hopes they nurtured of a home and away double were stone dead by the 50th minute, when Meireles volleyed a spectacular second goal into Wayne Hennessey’s top-left corner from 25 yards.

In search of a clean sheet, which has become a Liverpool rarity, Dalglish overlooked Joe Cole in favour of a defensive midfielder Christian Poulsen, eschewing 4–4–2 in favour of a 4–2–3–1 formation.

Wolves arrived in buoyant mood after beating Chelsea the last time they played at home in the league and drubbing Doncaster 5-0 in the FA Cup in midweek, but they never threatened to scale those heights, and had the look of relegation candidates throughout.

Liverpool’s nerves were evident when José Reina put successive goalkicks out of play, but they fashioned nearly all the chances, and had their reward after 36 minutes when, with Wolves appealing for offside, Meireles squared the ball in from the right for Torres to beat Hennessey from six yards. The offside claim was invalid, Zubar playing the move onside.

Wolves’ first decent goal attempt was delayed until the 39th minute, when Reina flew to his left to deny Doyle. If they hoped it would spark an improvement, they were wrong. Five minutes into the second half Meireles scored his “worldy”, as the players call such classy gems, and that was that as far as the points were concerned.

Wolves huffed and puffed and Steven Fletcher tested Reina from distance, but it was Liverpool who scored again in the 90th minute, when Torres, set up by Dirk Kuyt, thumped the ball home from six yards.

Premier LeagueWolverhampton WanderersLiverpoolKenny DalglishJoe Lovejoyguardian.co.uk