Liverpool moved into the Premier League’s top six as goals from Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah eased Wolves’ relegation fears with a 2-0 defeat at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s men have again been far from the strength of recent seasons, but have now taken 10 points from a possible 12 in their last four league games to chase a top-four finish.
The Reds are close within six points of fourth placed Tottenham with a game in hand over Spurs still to come.
Wolves remain just three points above the relegation zone in 15th as the visitors are made to pay for their lack of goal threat up front.
The fourth meeting between the parties in less than two months developed boredom instead of humiliating for the first 45 minutes.
Harvey Elliott headed wide the best chance of the opening half and then tested Jose Sa with a drive from outside the box.
A week on from Liverpool’s record-equalling defeat in Europe in a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid, there was nothing to put off the crowd at Anfield.
But Klopp will see signs of progress with a fourth successive Premier League clean sheet after urging his side to “rebound”.
Klopp at least has forward options to choose from with Diogo Jota back available and Luis Diaz close to returning.
A foul by Jota on Max Kilman denied Darwin Nunez the opening goal midway through the second half as the Uruguayan’s strike was waved off following a VAR review.
But Jota had a hand in breaking the deadlock when he followed Van Dijk into an unguarded net after Sa parried the Dutch centre-back’s first-time effort.
The home side’s second goal was more like Liverpool of old as Wolves opened up with a swift counter-attack.
Konstantinos Tsimikas played a one-two with Cody Gakpo before the Greek raced into the Wolves box and picked out Salah to force the ball home with his thigh.
A rampant Manchester United will pose a tougher test of Liverpool’s road to recovery when the Red Devils visit Anfield on Sunday.
But at least he is back in the hunt for a seventh season of Champions League football.