Liverpool v Leicester: Leaders insist it is 'too early to be celebrating' as 3-1 win bolsters title hopes

Liverpool moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League as the title favourites were made to fight back to clinch a 3-1 win against struggling Leicester on Thursday. Arne Slot's team received an early shock when Jordan Ayew scored at Anfield. But the league leaders recovered to equalise just before the interval through Cody Gakpo. Then, England midfielder Curtis Jones marked his 100th top-flight appearance with the second goal soon after half-time. Mohamed Salah 's 19th goal this term wrapped up Liverpool's 11th win in their last 13 games in all competitions. The Reds moved to 42 points at the top of the standings. They also have a game in hand over second-placed Chelsea, who are on 35, as well as third-placed Nottingham Forest on 34. Salah said his team had to fight hard to find a way past a dogged Leicester team. He told Amazon Prime: "It's a good result. They were better in the first half, in the way they prepare themselves, they were very good. "The way they were standing in front of the box, it was quite hard for us especially in the first half, but we managed to score three goals and it's a great result. "(Gakpo's) was a great goal and it gave us confidence in the second half to try to win the game...It's something he's practised a lot in training, it was a great finish from him." On his own goal, Salah added: "It's great. The most important thing for me is the team winning. Hopefully we win the Premier League and I have a big impact. We just need to focus and carry on like that." Despite the result, manager Slot played down the significance of their place at the top of the table. Chelsea's surprise defeat by Fulham meant victory over the Foxes stretched their lead to seven points with the halfway point of the campaign fast approaching. But Slot remained nonchalant despite the clamour growing around their chances of adding another title to the one won in 2020. "If you are in this game for a long time like the players and I am, then 20 games before the end you don't look at it as there are so many challenges ahead of you," he said. "Injuries and and a bit of bad luck can happen to any team, it is far too early to be already celebrating - but it is nice for us to be where we are. "I don't think there was any easy win for us in any of these games; it could have been an easy win against Tottenham but we conceded two and it was then 5-2 - that tells you how difficult it is to win even when you have all your players available. "That is why we have to take it one game at a time. The league table is something of course we are aware of but we always understand how many games there are to go." Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim said he needs time on the training ground to iron out the Red Devils' flaws after a 2-0 defeat to lowly Wolves. United's case at Molineux was not helped by a third red card of the season for captain Bruno Fernandes just two minutes into the second half. Matheus Cunha then exposed the visitors' frailties from set-pieces by scoring directly from a corner before the Brazilian teed up Hwang Hee-chan to seal a vital win that lifted Wolves out of the relegation zone. Amorim has won just two of his first seven Premier League games to leave United languishing down in 14th. "I think we were always in control, not always dominating, but in control, but the same things, set-pieces and also the sending off was really hard for us," said Amorim. "I said it before everybody: it will be a long journey and this moment will be really tough. We have to continue. We need to have time to train." United have now lost their last three consecutive games with a 4-3 League Cup exit to Tottenham followed by a damaging 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday. In the last five league games, Amorim's side have conceded from either a corner or a free-kick.

Liverpool v Leicester: Leaders insist it is 'too early to be celebrating' as 3-1 win bolsters title hopes

Mohamed Salah continues superb form in victory, Manchester United slip further after defeat to Wolves