Liverpool 2 – 1 Wolves The Premier League Postmortem
The atmosphere at Anfield was both quiet and nervous, as Liverpool looked to regain their seven-point gap from second-placed Arsenal. The visitors had seen their form improve in recent weeks, as they looked to scupper the Red’s desperation for ascendancy.
Below is how the team lined up, with match details following.
The Starting Eleven
GK – Alisson Becker
RB – Trent Alexander Arnold
RCB – Ibrahima Konaté
LCB – Virgil van Dijk (c)
LB – Andy Robertson
CM – Alexis Mac Allister
ACM – Dominik Szoboszlai
CM – Ryan Gravenberch
RF – Mohamed Salah
CF – Diogo Jota
LF – Luis Díaz
Subs
Jarell Quansah – Ibrahima Konaté (45 mins)
Conor Bradley – Trent Alexander Arnold (64 mins)
Darwin Núñez – Diogo Jota (64 mins)
Wataru Endō – Luis Díaz (71 mins)
Goals (Assisted by)
Liverpool 1 – 0 Wolves
Luis Díaz (Mohamed Salah) 15 mins
Liverpool 2 – 0 Wolves
Mohamed Salah (Penalty) 37 mins
Liverpool 2 – 1 Wolves
Matheus Cunha (Jean-Ricner Bellegarde) 67 mins
Important Match Stats
Possession
Liverpool 50% – 50% Wolves
XG
Liverpool 1.76 – 1.33 Wolves
Total Shots
Liverpool 10 – 16 Wolves
Corner Kicks
Liverpool 4 – 3 Wolves
Off Sides
Liverpool 5 – 3 Wolves
Fouls
Liverpool 15 – 13 Wolves
Goalkeeper Saves
Liverpool 3 – 1 Wolves
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The First Half
Match Overview
The match began with Liverpool immediately taking territorial control of the pitch, with the opening goal only taking eleven minutes to avail itself. A hopeful ball forward was superbly ushered towards the Columbian wide man, Luis Díaz, who carried the ball towards the box before sending a cross-field pass towards Mohamed Salah. With a return pass deflected into the heart of the penalty area, the indecision between the Wolves’ defence and goalkeeper allowed Díaz to bundle the ball over the line with the use of his chest.
As Liverpool continued to put pressure on an away team that was lacking defensive confidence, the constant pressure of Diogo Jota continued to unsettle the back three. Some half-chances came and went, whereas Dominik Szoboszlai saw a great shot from distance land just outside the post. Eventually, the resistance gave way and a breathtaking run into the box to meet a hopeful pass ended with the Wolves keeper, José Sá, bringing down Luis Díaz. Mohamed Salah dispatched the resulting spot kick with a powerful strike down the middle and the score shifted to 2-0.
The remainder of the half saw a couple of opportunities rise and fall for both sides as the largely scrappy game state was defined by a clinical approach undertaken by the hosts.
The first half ended with Liverpool in the ascendancy and 2-0 up.
The Second Half
Liverpool substituted Ibrahima Konaté at halftime, given his yellow card from the opening 45 minutes and his slightly worrying array of fouls in the aftermath of that caution. The opening section saw Wolves ramp up their intensity and forced Alisson Becker to clutch a lofted ball from the sky. Shortly afterwards, the giant Brazilian stopper was forced to make a brilliant one-on-one save as Jarell Quansah failed to stay with his man.
Mohamed Salah was unfortunate not to score a second personal goal for the day, as his brilliant solo strike from distance was disallowed due to an offside in the build-up. A short delay came moments later that had the Anfield crowd worried, with Ali on the ground due to an injury. Luckily for the Merseyside giants, a mere cut on his shin was the only issue as a moment to calm the game was taken by the veteran goalkeeper.
A penalty appeal was overturned in the limited thereafter, as Diogo Jota was adjudged to have created the contact inside the Wolves area. The next goal of the game would come from Wolves who had taken complete control of the match and were piling pressure on a fatigue-ridden Reds. Matheus Cunha was able to shift the ball inside and deliver a brilliant left-footed strike into the bottom corner. The remainder of the game was pure intensity from the away side as they mounted pressure on the Liverpool penalty area time and time again. Conor Bradley, Wataru Endō and Jarell Quansah brought increased defensive awareness to the hosts with the latter producing a sublime block to stop a late equaliser.
The match concluded with a score of 2-1 and a result built upon character.
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Final Thoughts
This match was only about three points and the need to hold one’s nerve. The head coach was received with his alterations and the win was vital to regaining the seven-point gap.
Steven Smith’s Score Prediction:
Liverpool 2 – 0 Wolves
