The Brazil striker collected a pass from Jordan Henderson, who had given Liverpool the lead at Molineux, and lashed a left-footed shot into the corner in the 84th minute on Thursday.

Wolves gave Jurgen Klopp's side one of its toughest tests this season and looked the team more likely to win after Raul Jimenez equalised in the 51st minute, cancelling out Henderson's eighth-minute header from a corner.

Still, Liverpool has now won 22 of its 23 games and is unbeaten in 40 league games, stretching to last season.

Liverpool can extend its lead to 19 points by winning its game in hand, at West Ham, next week.

One negative for the leaders was the sight of forward Sadio Mane leaving the field with an apparent hamstring injury in the first half.

His exit saw Takumi Minamino come on as a substitute for his league debut for Liverpool, becoming the ninth Japanese player to play in the Premier League.

Asked if that was the toughest game Liverpool had been given in the Premier League this season, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp said: "No. But it was a big one and was the toughest you could get for today for different reasons.

"One thing is, of course, that Wolves are doing really well. They are really different to pretty much all other teams.

"They scored and then for 10 wild minutes Wolves ... but then the game calmed down again and we could get control back a little bit."

Klopp described Wolves winger Traore was "most of the time unplayable", but insisted Liverpool also had plenty of chances to kill the game off before Firmino's late decider.

He said: "The chances we had were incredible. We had four or five one-on-one situations with the goalie, which doesn't happen every week.

"So we had brilliant moments and if we score there, game over. We don't, that's why it was 1-1. "

Australian Associated Press