Luis Suarez once again inspired Liverpool to victory as Wolves were beaten 2-1 at Anfield.

The Uruguay international scored his fourth goal of the campaign to make it 2-0 following a Roger Johnson OG.

Steven Fletcher helped make a game of it by firing in at the Anfield Road End early in the second period but the Reds were worthy winners.

Andy Carroll was one of six players recalled to the starting XI following our Carling Cup victory over Brighton in midweek, meaning man of the match Craig Bellamy dropped to the bench where he'd sit alongside the still recuperating Steven Gerrard.

Like Liverpool, Wolves entered the game having lost successive league fixtures and Mick McCarthy's side sought to make an instant impression on the scoresheet in a bid to change their fortunes.

A defensive error allowed them time and space in Liverpool's box on eight minutes but when Jamie O'Hara stretched to execute his shot he could not generate enough power to beat Pepe Reina.

Wolves had started the livelier, perhaps, but it was Liverpool who dealt the first blow on 11 minutes - though more accurately the wound was self-inflicted when Johnson deflected a Charlie Adam drive into the bottom corner of his own net.

Minutes later Carroll leapt to meet a Stewart Downing corner, making good contact without seriously troubling Wayne Hennessey. Liverpool were now firmly in control.

The ordinarily reliable Johnson was having a day to forget as next Suarez left him dizzy with a cheeky turn which deserved to produce a goal.

The Uruguayan was then narrowly short of meeting a Carroll cross when any contact would surely have resulted in a 2-0 scoreline.

A neat piece of combination play with the excellent Jose Enrique sent Downing bursting down the left but Suarez could not direct the subsequent cross on target.

A second goal now seemed inevitable and it duly arrived on 38 minutes when Suarez navigated the offside trap to collect a superb pass from Enrique. The No.7 was kind enough to give Christophe Berra time to recover before doing his best Strictly Come Dancing audition and smacking low beyond Hennessey.

It might have been 3-0 in first-half injury-time as Suarez again made a nuisance of himself in the Wolves box only to prod the ball wide.

McCarthy made a double substitution at the break and it paid instant dividends when confusion in the Reds defence allowed Stephen Hunt to cross for the fresh-legged Fletcher to power home.

With 49 minutes gone it was now game on, though Suarez would have restored the two-goal deficit but for a brave save from Hennessey.

Carroll then headed a Downing centre onto the post to rouse the Kop.

Liverpool were not letting their heads drop and completed a hat-trick of near misses when Adam broke in midfield before finding Downing in space. The England man elected to shoot but saw his effort saved well.

Wolves surged as control passed from one team to the other but Lucas might have ended any hopes of an away point had his 20-yard drive been directed two feet to the right.

For his next trick Suarez slalomed through the visiting defence but his cutback lacked potency.

He and Carroll were working well in tandem and a smart one-two almost created a decisive third goal with a quarter of an hour remaining.

Gerrard was then introduced for the final 10 minutes and almost fired a trademark volley at the Kop end as the Reds saw out victory.