28 September 2024
Wolves 1 Liverpool 2
Wolves welcomed Liverpool to Molineux with the two teams holding very different records so far this season. Nobody had conceded more goals than the hosts so far, while no one had conceded less goals than Arne Slot’s side. All of which suggested that this game had a comfortable away win written all over it. Only time would tell.
The Reds started well and were finding space all over the park. Salah lifted a pass over the defence but Jota couldn’t get the touch needed to steer it past Johnstone. The movement of the visitors’ attackers seemed to be causing problems for the hosts already. With confidence shot, Wolves were going to have to find a performance of some magnitude to grind out a result.
Wolves came forward for the first time in the game and worked the ball to the dangerous Cunha. He cut inside onto his left foot and looked to bend one in the far corner. Alisson got across his goal well to make the save and more importantly, hold onto the ball. Strand Larsen was lurking to poach any loose ball in the middle. It was still weird seeing a clean-shaven Liverpool keeper nonetheless.
Some slick football from the visitors saw van Dijk play a ball in behind the defence for Robertson. The full back hit a superb first-time cross to pick out an unmarked Szoboszlai, three yards out in the middle of the goal. Whether you deem it poor finishing or just pure bad luck, his volley struck the calf of Johnstone and went wide of the target.
Gary O’Neil’s side started to defend deeper and deeper. It was inviting The Reds onto them. Jota used his trickery to get away from his man out wide and sat up an inviting cross into the middle. Konate arrived and met it with his head and Johnstone just could not keep it out. Questions will be raised about the keeper for the goal but it just seemed the power took it past him.
The away end erupted as Arne Slot’s side got their goal deep into added time. They had looked the more likely to score and probably deserved to be ahead at the break. Wolves just cannot stop conceding goals at the moment and this then asks their misfiring forward line to try and get them back into games every week.
It seems to be the norm in the modern game that every team takes their goal kicks like it is a five-a-side match. The problem with this is the majority of the defences in the Premier League do not have players that are capable with the ball at their feet. This idea works brilliantly if you have defenders of the calibre of Maldini, Nesta, Ferdinand or Adams but Wolves certainly don’t.
A loose pass across his own box from Lemina took his own keeper out of the equation and presented the ball to Salah. The Egyptian winger opted for a first-time volley but incredibly missed the target. It was a big let-off for O’Neil’s side. No one seems to learn from these mistakes and continue to play out from the back. If you do not learn from history, it tends to repeat itself.
In a rare adventure into their opponent’s half, Liverpool seemed to channel their inner Man Utd. Robertson kicked the ball onto Strand Larsen, Konate then appeared to be glitching out like some error in the matrix. The Wolves striker took advantage and looked to cut the ball back from the byline. He managed to pick out Sarabia on the edge of the six yard box.
The Wolves man made a complete hash of whatever he was trying to do and scuffed the ball with one foot, onto his other leg. However, van Dijk had turned his back on the player and had no idea where the ball was. That allowed Ait-Nouri to ghost in and slot the ball into the bottom corner to draw the hosts level against the run of play.
Wolves then hit the self-destruct button. As Alexander-Arnold lifted a cross into the box, Semedo wrestled Jota to the ground. Anthony Taylor immediately blew his whistle and pointed to the spot. Even a VAR review could not save the hosts on this occasion as they agreed with the onfield decision. After managing to get themselves back into the game, Liverpool now had the chance to restore their lead.
Salah stepped up to take the spot kick and sent Johnstone the wrong way to put The Reds ahead once again. It was the Egyptian’s 300th club career goal, yet Yakubu still thinks he is not one of the best African players to grace the Premier League. It makes you wonder whether the former Everton striker was who Donald Trump was talking about when he said everyone is eating Khat.
Carlos Forbs almost had the chance to grab a late equaliser for the hosts but as he checked inside onto his right foot, Konate got back to make an important block as the ball deflected wide of the goal. It would have been harsh on Slot’s team who had been the better side for the majority of the game. They were just guilty of missing their chances.
Liverpool had opportunities to put the game to bed but were wasteful. Firstly Salah underhit a pass when it would have led to a certain goal. Jones then had a shot from inside the box but Johnstone got down well to make a save at his near post. The visitors held on for all three points and that matters more than performance when you are looking to put pressure on the sides at the top.
Arne Slot’s side ensured that Arsenal only spent a couple of hours at the top of the Premier League. With Man City dropping points at St James’ Park, Liverpool had taken full advantage of the slip-up by the champions. The Reds’ squad boasts a plethora of attacking talent that could be key to any success they have under their new manager this season.
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