Mohamed Salah on target again as Liverpool edge out Wolves to maintain grip on Premier League title race


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Liverpool increased their advantage at the top of the Premier League back up to seven points but were given an almighty scare on their way to a 2-1 victory over Wolves on Sunday.

Arne Slot's side were in complete control after a dominant first-half performance that saw Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah both finding the back of the net, with the Egyptian striker scoring his 28th goal of the season across all competitions.

But Wolves refused to give up without a fight in a second half that saw Brazilian attacker Matheus Cunha pull one back with a wonderful curling finish while the home side, remarkably, failed to register an attempt on goal.

The final whistle was met with delight and relief at Anfield with Liverpool once again opening up a healthy gap on second-placed Arsenal - who defeated Leicester City 2-0 on Saturday - with 13 games to go.

Liverpool had been denied all three points in a frantic Merseyside derby draw at Goodison Park on Wednesday night which ended in high drama after Everton's James Tarkowski scored in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

But there was to be no late chaos this time and captain Virgil van Dijk was pleased with the team's fighting mentality against a Wolves side who will feel frustrated not to have come away with at least a point.

"We'd love to dominate for the full 90 minutes but it is the Premier League and Wolves can punish you and create dangerous moments against you," said the Dutch defender.

"It says a lot we kept fighting and kept going and got the three points.

"Today showed at times that when we have the ball you can exploit it as well. Cunha was a danger man for them today we had to be aware of. Unfortunately he scored but we kept them to that.

"I definitely give them credit the way they went one v one most of the times and how they found the free man between the lines.

"At times we were sloppy as well and we couldn't keep the ball as well as we can at times."

Liverpool had opened the scoring after a lightening breakaway goal that had started with Van Dijk winning the ball deep in his own half before ending up with Diaz scampering down the left wing.

The Colombian then crossed into the box and when Toti Gomes could only loop Salah's pass towards his own goal, Diaz was on hand to beat onrushing Wolves keeper Jose Sa to the ball and send the ball into the net via his stomach in the 15th minute.

It was Diaz's ninth league goal of the season, already his best return in the competition for Liverpool.

Diogo Jota almost doubled their lead less than 10 minutes later only for Emmanuel Agbadou to throw himself in front of his strike to block what looked a certain goal.

Sa was being kept busy in the Wolves goal, first pushing away a low Andrew Robertson cross, with Jota then picking up the loose ball before firing in a shot that the Portuguese keeper saved with his leg.

But the second goal would not be long coming with Diaz again at the centre of it. After forcing an error out of Agbadou, Diaz then skipped past Sa before being clumsily brought down in the box.

Salah stepped up calmness personified to dink the penalty straight down the middle with Sa committed to the dive.

It was Salah's 22nd league goal of the campaign, taking him three clear of Manchester City's Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot.

It was to be an altogether different story in the second half when, apart from a Salah goal being disallowed for offside and a penalty call against Wolves being reversed by VAR, Liverpool offered little attacking threat.

Substitute Marshall Munetsi should have scored a debut goal when put through one-on-one with Allison Becker but shot too close to the Brazilian keeper who saved well.

Joao Gomes curled a glorious chance high and wide - much to the frustration of Cuhna who was free on the edge of the box with the goal at his mercy waiting for a simple pass that never came.

But Cuhna's moment did arrive in the 67th minute when he showed tremendous skill to beat Ryan Gravenberch before sending a stunning curling finish past Alisson.

Sadly for Wolves, that was to be their only goal as they fell to a defeat that leaves them two points and once place outside the relegation zone.

"It's like a mix of sensations," admitted Cunha, who now has 11 goals in the league this season. "We feel good at points today but if we start the game like we did in the second half then we leave with a better result. We need to learn."

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Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

While you're here
How Apple's credit card works

The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.

What does it cost?

Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.

What will the interest rate be?

The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts

What about security? 

The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.

Is it easy to use?

Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision. 

* Associated Press 

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Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif

Based: Manama, Bahrain

Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation

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Stage: 1 ($100,000)

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Updated: February 16, 2025, 5:11 PM`