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His achievements have given Kenny Dalglish a line of credit not available to the likes of UBS or Northern Rock. He could have survived an early exit from the Carling Cup and a home defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers, which so bankrupted Roy Hodgson’s regime. Instead he has won both, although with the kind of fortune that was forever denied Hodgson, Wolves might have snatched a point.

The Liverpool manager did not seek excuses for last Sunday’s humbling at White Hart Lane and his side just about deserved their victory in a high-octane afternoon that featured the brief league return of Steven Gerrard, brought on to a standing ovation more than six months after he last graced Anfield.

“We played better in defeat at Stoke but we will continue to plod on,” Dalglish observed, although no team who boast Luis Suárez will ever plod. Without him, Liverpool might have appeared ordinary.

Wolves began as if the supine surrender to Queens Park Rangers at Molineux had never been. They were sharp and inventive but very soon they were a goal down. The shot was from Charlie Adam but the wound was self-inflicted as the Wolves captain, Roger Johnson, flung himself at the ball and succeeded in deflecting it past Wayne Hennessey.

Perhaps because of all the Yorkshire bluff that he carries with him, Mick McCarthy is not thought of as a tactically inventive manager but his double substitution during the interval transformed the game. When Steven Fletcher, who had been on the field for fewer than five minutes, drove a shot into the roof of Pepe Reina’s net from Stephen Hunt’s cutback, it provided Wolves with momentum that was not quite enough to tip the balance.

If there was fortune about Liverpool’s first, there was none at all about the second. When José Enrique sent a ball down the left flank and into the area for Suárez, the angle and the presence of two old gold shirts around him suggested the threat was minimal. Instead, the Uruguayan sent Christophe Berra first left and then right and then, instinctively noticing Hennessey had left a gap between himself and his near post, he shot through it brilliantly.

At half-time the Tannoy announced in the kind of gloating manner that was utterly at odds with Liverpool’s traditions that Fernando Torres had been sent off at Stamford Bridge. At least Torres had scored, which was more than Andy Carroll was to do.

Dalglish, who had accused the media on Merseyside of “obsessing” about the Premier League’s most expensive Englishman, noted in the press room that there had been no questions about Carroll “because he had performed well”.

Up to a point. There was a free header from a Stewart Downing corner met without power or purpose. Then came a fabulous diagonal ball across the face of the Wolves goal that Suárez just failed to slide home. It was followed by a wayward pass that ended up among a group of substitutes warming up and then a header against the post. Finally, having been set up by Gerrard, Carroll took three touches too many and ended the match flat on his back in front of the Kop. There was good, there was bad and there was indifferent.

LiverpoolWolverhampton WanderersPremier League 2011-12Tim Richguardian.co.uk

After the fanfare that greeted Kenny Dalglish’s return comes the sobering reality that he will have made the worst start by a Liverpool manager in 83 years if he fails to win at Molineux. The portents are not promising given Liverpool’s dismal away form in the league – one win on the road this season – and Wolves’ recent improvement, which includes the victory at Anfield that accelerated Roy Hodgson’s departure. Steven Gerrard will be missing for Liverpool as he serves the final match of his three-game ban but Joe Cole is set to return. Stuart James

Venue Molineux, Saturday 12.45pm

Tickets £30-40 (0871 222 1877)

Last season Wolves 0 Liverpool 0

Referee Martin Atkinson

This season’s matches 17 Y59, R8, 3.94 cards per game

Odds Wolves 12-5 Liverpool 11-8 Draw 2-1

Wolves

Subs from Hahnemann, Foley, Jones, Stearman, Mouyokolo, Mujangi Bia, Batth, Vokes, Edwards, Hammill, Davis

Doubtful Craddock (thigh)

Injured Mancienne (knee, 29 Jan), Ebanks-Blake (calf, 12 Feb), Guédioura (broken leg, 26 Feb), Kightly (knee, unknown)

Suspended Elokobi (last of three)

Form guide LWLWLW

Disciplinary record Y37 R2

Leading scorers Ebanks-Blake, Fletcher 4

Liverpool

Subs from Gulacsi, Poulsen, Kyrgiakos, Konchesky, Cole, Aurélio, Jovanovic, Pacheco, Babel, Wilson, Hansen

Doubtful Agger (illness), Jovanovic (illness)

Injured Carragher (shoulder, 27 Feb)

Suspended Gerrard (last of three)

Unavailable Jones (international duty)

Form guide DLLWLL

Disciplinary record Y36 R2

Leading scorer Torres 7

Match pointers

• There have been only six goals in five Premier League meetings between these sides

• A defeat for Liverpool would make it the first time since 1954 that they have lost six away league games in a row

• Wolves’ sequence of alternating wins and losses continued for a ninth match last week – the run will continue if they winon Saturday

• Liverpool have not won at Molineux since March 1978 when manager Kenny Dalglish scored twice in 3-1 victory

• If Wolves win it will be their first double over Liverpool since the 1950-51 season

Premier LeagueWolverhampton WanderersLiverpoolguardian.co.uk

Mick McCarthy denounced Liverpool by deeming them worthy of a full-strength Wolves’ team but he was to be the recipient of the gravest insult at Anfield last night. The Midlanders were comfortably on course to compound Rafael Benítez’s problems ahead of league games with Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur when they were harshly reduced to 10 men by referee Andre Marriner. Unfortunately for McCarthy, he cannot pick and choose his match officials at will, and Liverpool took full advantage of the gift on offer. Benítez will know this was a reprieve.

Until Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun capitalised this was another arduous ordeal for Liverpool and the weary Anfield faithful. Retaining possession in defence with the game goalless while posing precious little threat in attack amounts to controlling a contest in the eyes of Benítez, or at least that was the conclusion from the defence he presented for the abysmal loss at Portsmouth last weekend. On that basis the Liverpool manager must have been satisfied with the opening half against McCarthy’s side for there was no dramatic improvement in tempo, invention or belief from the home side.

A full league debut for the Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani, four months on from his £18m arrival from Roma and two months after his first appearance for the club, encouraged thoughts of more urgency and accuracy to Liverpool’s game. Gerrard, whose struggle to recapture his usual heights after injury had prompted one-to-one talks with Benítez before the game, must also have believed his waning influence – arguably a direct result of the passes drying up from the areas Xabi Alonso used to frequent – would be restored. For 45 minutes, however, that was a forlorn hope, and derision was audible among the home crowd long before Marriner called a halt.

Aquilani was occasionally bright but often anonymous, as was to be expected of a central midfielder who has played little in this calendar year either in Italy or England but could benefit from Benítez’s protection policy no longer with Javier Mascherano beginning a four-match suspension. His first contribution augured well when he won the ball cleanly in midfield to enable Gerrard to test Marcus Hahnemann in the Wolves goal with the opening shot of the match. Seconds later, Fernando Torres retrieved an over-hit pass from Emiliano Insua inside the penalty area and toyed with Richard Stearman mercilessly before stinging Hahnemann’s palms with a rising drive.

Wolves were largely content to invite the home side forwards, but on the break they unnerved Liverpool. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake was the first to inject doubt into the Liverpool defence when, from Matthew Jarvis’s run and cross from the left, he turned Jamie Carragher at the near post only for José Reina to smother his low shot.

Nenad Milijas was a frequent threat from the edge of the Liverpool area, although the Serbian international’s accuracy failed to match his adventure, and Wolves ought to have led after Reina tipped a goal-bound free-kick from the midfielder over his bar. Milijas’s resulting corner was sent straight at Liverpool’s achilles – the near post – and from three yards out, unmarked and with Ebanks-Blake also waiting to convert, Kevin Doyle somehow headed high and wide of the target.

A moribund event ignited in the 52nd minute when Liverpool capitalised on a foolish back-heel by the Wolves midfielder Jarvis and Lucas sprinted clear of Stephen Ward. The Brazilian was clear of the visiting left-back but took advantage of a touch in the back to launch into a theatrical forward-roll. Referee Marriner instantly pulled a yellow card from his pocket but took an age to book Ward who, he eventually appeared to realise, had received a yellow card four minutes earlier for pulling back Benayoun. Marriner seemed reluctant to book Ward at all cost and punished Christophe Berra for kicking the ball away before being alerted to his mistake by a delegation led by Lucas and Reina. After a prolonged wait, Ward walked, a victim of his own foolishness, Lucas and the inconsistency of a referee who had earlier only spoken to Gerrard for a poor challenge on Berra.

Wolves’ previously comfortably resistance shattered. Gerrard rose above Milijas to meet Insúa’s immaculate cross with a classic centre-forward’s header 10 minutes after the dismissal. From another inviting delivery by the Argentinian, Benayoun was granted the freedom of the visiting area to make the game safe with a close-range shot that deflected off Karl Henry and through the grasp of Hahnemann.

THE FANS’ PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT

Stephanie Jones, Observer reader It was a win, which was good, and we didn’t concede a goal, which was great. Once they were down to 10 there didn’t seem any doubt we’d win and it was Insúa’s endeavour that made the first goal. Then the match settled and we passed it around . It was ludicrous that the ref needed help from three yards away on the sending-off. I give Reina a 10 for coming all the way up the pitch and helping him do his job. Aquilani was great, worked really hard and hopefully we’ll see more of that.

The fan’s player ratings Reina 10; Johnson 6, Carragher 7, Agger 7, Insúa 6; Lucas 8, Aquilani 8 (Pacheco 84 8); Benayoun 8 (Spearing 88 n/a), Gerrard 7, Aurélio 6 (Kuyt 76 6); Torres 6

Arthur Williams, Observer reader Until the sending-off – which was justified – we made Liverpool look fairly ordinary. I thought we might at least get a draw, so it’s a pity. McCarthy will be disappointed with Ward’s foolishness and the result, but not the performance overall. I think we had the better of the first half. Reina made a disgraceful run from one end of the pitch to the other – I don’t know why he thought he had to do the ref’s job. Disappointing not to get something out of what looked quite promising.

The fan’s player ratings Hahnemann 8; Stearman 8, Craddock 7, Berra 7, Ward 7; Foley 5, Henry 6, Milijas 6 (Mancienne 62 6) Jarvis 8; Doyle 6 (Elokobi 58 5), Ebanks-Blake 6 (Iwelumo 66 6)

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Premier LeagueLiverpoolWolverhampton WanderersAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk