Liverpool stay on the right track to win the Premier League title this season after beating Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on Sunday. Luis Diaz scored the opening objective for the hosts within the fifteenth minute, and Mohamed Salah doubled their lead from the spot within the thirty seventh, with Jose Sa deemed to have fouled Diaz contained in the field. Matheus Cunha put Wolves again into the competition with a beautiful strike within the 67th, however in the long run, the guests couldn’t discover an equalizer and the three factors remained on Merseyside.
The groups
Arne Slot was in a position to lead his workforce from the dugout as he awaits the result of the disciplinary proceedings following his crimson card towards Everton on Thursday. He wasn’t, nevertheless, in a position to name upon Joe Gomez, who’s reportedly set for an additional lengthy spell on the sidelines, in addition to Cody Gakpo resulting from a minor knock, and Curtis Jones, who was additionally despatched off towards Everton.
Alisson Becker was in objective, with the centre-back pairing of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate flanked by Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson. Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister performed within the two deeper midfield roles, whereas Dominik Szoboszali patrolled additional up. In assault, Jota had Salah on his proper and Diaz on his left.
In the meantime, Wolves boss Vitor Pereira was with out Hwang Hee-chan, Sasa Kalajdzic, Jorgen Strand Larsen, Leon Chiwome, Enso Gonzalez and Yerson Mosquera, all by completely different harm issues.
With Jose Sa between the posts, Toty Gomes, Agbadou and Matt Doherty fashioned the again line of three. Andre and Joao Gomes paired up in the midst of the park, flanked by Rayan Ait-Nouri on the left and Nelson Semedo on the correct. Cunha, together with Pablo Sarabia, performed in assist of Goncalo Guedes as the person closest to the opposition objective.
Temporary recap
Liverpool began brightly and practically took the lead early on when Jota’s left-footed volley flashed simply extensive. Wolves’ resistance didn’t final for much longer, as a deflected Salah cross fell kindly for Diaz, who bundled the ball residence together with his midriff after quarter-hour.
Diaz was concerned once more as Liverpool doubled their lead, profitable a penalty after nudging Emmanuel Agbadou apart earlier than drawing a foul from Jose Sa. Wolves’ defenders had been sad with the choice and grew extra pissed off when Konate averted a second yellow card for a late problem on Cunha moments later – although, in reality, it was relatively removed from a bookable offence.
Slot reacted by substituting Konate for Jarell Quansah at halftime, whereas Wolves made attacking adjustments, introducing Marshall Munetsi and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde for Guedes and Sarabia. The changes nearly paid off instantly, with Munetsi breaking by solely to be denied by a sprawling save from Alisson.
Wolves’ momentum continued, and Liverpool thought they’d an opportunity to place the sport to mattress when the referee awarded a penalty for an obvious Agbadou foul on Jota. Nevertheless, replays confirmed minimal contact, and after a VAR assessment, the choice was rightly overturned. The previous Wolves man was arguably fortunate to keep away from a yellow card for diving.
The guests capitalized on that reprieve, with Cunha curling a surprising left-footed strike into the underside nook from 25 yards to deliver Wolves again into competition. By the seventy fifth minute, Wolves had registered 9 second-half pictures to Liverpool’s none, reflecting their dominance after the break.
Nevertheless, the hosts finally regained management, limiting Wolves to only one extra try within the closing levels. Their defensive efforts noticed them maintain on for an vital win, greeted with a roar of approval from the Anfield trustworthy.
Combined emotions
Liverpool in the end obtained what they needed – the three factors, very important for his or her efforts to equal Manchester United’s document of 20 league titles this summer time. Had any of their followers been requested earlier than the sport whether or not they’d settle for a 2-1 victory, they’d most likely have stated “sure, thanks” with out an excessive amount of pondering.
Nevertheless, Liverpool merely don’t look nearly as good as they did all through the season to date. They’re but to string three matches in all competitions with out profitable, however after the stunning FA Cup defeat to Plymouth Argyle and the Merseyside Derby draw, they got here very shut towards a decided Wolves facet on Sunday. Their kind has clearly slipped considerably and their efficiency within the second half actually wasn’t worthy of a victory. Slot will likely be working exhausting to search out methods to rectify their errors and patch up the weak hyperlinks as quickly as potential, or their lead within the title race, although nonetheless comfy at first look, might soften away relatively shortly.
The view of this match is totally the alternative when Wolves are involved. A workforce nonetheless a lot too near the relegation zone, whose season clearly hasn’t gone anyplace practically sufficient to date, they suffered defeat by the hands of the league leaders. However realistically talking, they wouldn’t have anticipated to get something at Anfield anyway, and the way in which they pushed an awesome workforce like Liverpool to their limits within the second half may have supplied nice optimism for the rest of the season.
Pereira clearly is aware of what he’s doing and his gamers have loads of high quality, and as usually is the case, consistency will show the important thing to answering the query whether or not Wolves will likely be preventing for Premier League survival come Might, or sit relatively comfortably within the center part of the desk.
Trying forward
Issues gained’t get simpler for Liverpool this month. They’ve three matches left to play in February, all of them towards tough opponents and coming very thick – away to Aston Villa on the nineteenth, away to Manchester Metropolis on the twenty third, and at residence towards Newcastle on the twenty sixth.
From their standpoint, the significance of Slot straightening issues out and getting his gamers to carry out once more as shortly as potential can’t be harassed sufficient. In the event that they do effectively within the subsequent 10 days, the title will likely be of their grasp. If not, Arsenal, sitting seven factors behind, might effectively catch them up.
Wolves will face in-form Bournemouth twice inside the subsequent fortnight, each occasions away. They journey to the south coast for a Premier League conflict on the finish of the week, after which once more for the battle within the fifth spherical of the FA Cup on March 1st. Enjoying towards the Cherries gained’t be straightforward – Andoni Iraola’s facet have been one of many nice optimistic shocks of the season to date, so Wolves will likely be their assembly with Fulham on the Molineux on February twenty fifth as their finest probability to earn some factors.
And factors they desperately want, sitting simply two above the relegation zone. But when their journey to Anfield is something to go by, they need to do effectively.
