Sadio Mane, Liverpool Beat Wolves 1-0 After Controversial 1st-Half VAR Decision

Liverpool's irresistible march to the Premier League title continued on Sunday, with the Reds beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 at Anfield. Sadio Mane scored the only goal of the match shortly before half-time.      

The VAR stole the headlines twice on Sunday. Mane's goal needed a lengthy check to confirm there was no handball in the buildup, and minutes later, the visitors had a goal taken away for a marginal offside call.

The Reds have a 13-point lead at the top of the standings and a game in hand over second-place Leicester City.

Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez were rested for the visitors, something former Premier League star Jermaine Jenas assumed would not go down well with title rivals Manchester City:

Even though Wolves didn't have their best XI on the pitch, the visitors put together solid resistance for the bulk of the first half. Liverpool dominated possession but didn't muster all that many chances against an organised defence.

Mohamed Salah could have opened the scoring early but missed wildly from a good position, and Georginio Wijnaldum also couldn't get his effort on target. Ruben Neves blocked a Roberto Firmino shot, before Rui Patricio made a comfortable save on Salah.

A Firmino header went narrowly wide of Patricio's goal, and Trent Alexander-Arnold only just missed Mane with a cross. The pressure continued to build throughout the half and eventually yielded a late and deserved goal for the Reds.

Adam Lallana used his shoulder to place the ball in the path of Mane, who calmly slotted home. A VAR check showed Lallana did not handle the ball in the buildup.

The goal meant Mane hit the 10-goal milestone in the Premier League yet again:

Shortly after, the VAR again took the headlines, ruling out a Pedro Neto goal for a narrow offside call in the buildup. Replays showed Jonny may have been offside by millimetres, but it was far from conclusive.

Per the Athletic's James Pearce, the visitors were understandably furious:

Joao Moutinho fired the first shot of the second half straight at Alisson Becker, signaling better intensity from the visitors. While it didn't result in many chances, Wolves started to push forward and gain a foothold in midfield, while also introducing Traore to add some pace out wide.

That led to more openings for Liverpool, however, and after a brief struggle, the Reds regained control. Firmino fired over after a strong combination with Salah, and Mane nearly found some space before being brought down by Jonny, with the official deciding against a penalty.

Virgil van Dijk presented Diogo Jota with the best chance of the match, casually losing the ball at the back. Fortunately for the Dutchman, Alisson was there to save the day with a wonderful reflex. 

Jimenez was also brought on to help turn the tide for Wolves, and the Mexican nearly did just that, with his swerving strike flying narrowly over the cross bar. Moutinho also tried his luck, missing badly. 

Romain Saiss was the next man to go close, but again, Alisson did not have to spring into action. The final chance fell to Ruben Vinagre, who should have done better after a rare mistake from Alexander-Arnold but couldn't convert.

What's Next?

Liverpool host Sheffield United on January 2. Wolves visit Watford on New Year's Day.