Wolves 0 Liverpool 3: Meireles responds after Dalglish assigns him more attacking role

The Portugal international's second goal in as many games in the victory at Wolves was even more spectacular than the swerving drive he hit in the Merseyside derby eight days ago.

Meireles smashed home a dipping 25-yard volley just after half-time to extend his side's lead after Fernando Torres's opener.

That Torres doubled his match tally with a ninth Barclays Premier League goal in added time was a bonus for the Reds.

But for once the Spain international's performance was overshadowed by that of Meireles, who was a deserved man of the match in the advanced midfield role usually occupied by Gerrard, having also set up the first goal.

The England captain will return from a three-match suspension to face Fulham at Anfield on Wednesday, giving Dalglish plenty of creative options in midfield.

"It is always helpful. The more the goals are spread around the more benefit it is for the team," said the 59-year-old Scot, who won his first match in four attempts after taking over from Roy Hodgson, his first victory as Liverpool manager in nearly 20 years.

"We've got our captain coming back on Wednesday night and he is a goalscorer in the middle of the pitch. So if we have got three goalscorers (including Torres) on the pitch we've a chance haven't we?

"Since I came in Raul has been really impressive."

He will not publicly admit it but Dalglish himself has played a significant part in that.

Meireles, having been shunted around the team by former boss Hodgson – playing in an orthodox central position and more frequently wide on the right – has been given a more attacking role in all of Dalglish's matches.

It is no coincidence his best two performances since arriving for 11.7m in late August have come in that short spell.

Second-bottom Wolves' standards are slipping as, having beaten Chelsea at Molineux just over a fortnight ago, they have since shipped seven goals in losing to Manchester City and Liverpool. But it was the other end of the pitch where manager Mick McCarthy had issues.

"We had enough of the ball to score and give them a bit more concern than they had," he said.