Liverpool’s Champions League hopes took a huge blow on Tuesday night, as they were beaten 2–1 by resurgent Premier League bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
The Reds had enjoyed an uptick in form entering the midweek contest, even if Arne Slot’s side had failed to totally convince. As such, this result may seem like one Liverpool were due, and they were dire for the most part in the West Midlands.
A lifeless contest caught fire in the closing stages, when Wolves took the lead against the run of play through substitute Rodrigo Gomes. Mohamed Salah’s swift equalizer was meant to set up a late Liverpool siege, but it was hosts who instead grabbed the all-important third goal in stoppage-time through a deflected André strike.
While Wolves’s hopes of staging the greatest of great escapes remain slim, Liverpool are now holding open the door to Chelsea in the Champions League race, before the Blues visit an out-of-sorts Aston Villa on Wednesday night, just three points behind the Reds.
The Problem That Won’t Go Away
It must have been a bittersweet feeling for Liverpool supporters when Cody Gakpo found the back of the net last weekend. On the one hand, great, his deflected finish put the Reds into a 4–1 lead over West Ham United. However, once the initial joy subsided, angst. He’d just bought himself another few weeks in the starting lineup.
Arne Slot’s adoration for his compatriot is curious. While a regular contributor in their title-winning season, Gakpo simply hasn’t been good enough this term. His strike on Saturday was just his third in his previous 17 games across all competitions, and it’s hard to gauge what exactly he’s offering that young Rio Ngumoha can’t.
Gakpo’s predictability in one-on-one situations means he’s the anti-low-block penetrator. There’s no variance to his play, and defenders must love marking him. Only when Milos Kerkez gets on the overlap does he seem to be able to create a yard of space. Otherwise, the winger is reduced to recycling possession.
Ngumoha, on the contrary, is an unrefined live wire capable of sparking life into an attack that’s gradually become a little too reliant on set-pieces this calendar year. The teenager simply must begin eating into Gakpo’s starts during the run-in.
Both of Liverpool’s starting wide players were wretched at Molineux, but at least Mohamed Salah ended his goal drought.
Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Wolves (4-2-3-1)
GK: Alisson—5.3: Hadn’t been called into action until Rodrigo Gomes bore down on goal with a little over 10 minutes to go. Couldn’t do much about the winner.
RB: Jeremie Frimpong—6.7: The Dutchman was bright at the start of the second half, but there was little by way of a dynamic relationship with Mohamed Salah ahead of him.
CB: Ibrahima Konaté—7.0: Caught ball-watching a little bit for the opening goal sequence after a strong showing. Made one particularly good tackle on Jean-Ricner Bellegarde midway through the second half.
CB: Virgil van Dijk—6.8: Had been in total command, but it was a weak bit of defending from Liverpool’s captain that led to the Wolves opener.
LB: Milos Kerkez—6.6: Liverpool’s dormant left-hand side sparked into life when Kerkez ventured forward, but the Hungarian didn’t attempt to get in behind enough.
DM: Ryan Gravenberch—5.8: On a booking, Gravenberch simply had to be withdrawn after a nightmare opening 45 minutes. He couldn’t do anything right.
DM: Alexis Mac Allister—6.5: Started sharply and looked like he was going to build on the momentum gained from scoring in back-to-back games, but Mac Allister faded and was less influential as the game wore on.
RM: Mohamed Salah—7.4: Sure, he ended his long wait for a Premier League goal in 2026, but that shouldn’t mask a sorry performance. Attacks constantly broke down after the ball touched his feet.
AM: Dominik Szoboszlai—7.7: This wasn’t a game where Szoboszlai’s playmaking came to the fore; his tireless running out of possession led to turnovers and dangerous Liverpool transitions.
LM: Cody Gakpo—6.8: This was a struggle for Gakpo, who once again huffed and puffed without ever looking like creating separation. Just not suited to these sorts of games.
ST: Hugo Ekitiké—6.5: The service wasn’t great throughout, and Ekitiké cut a frustrated figure as a result.
SUB: Curtis Jones (46’ for Gravenberch)—6.3: Had a certain goal pinched off of him by Gakpo, who instead hit the crossbar.
SUB: Rio Ngumoha (64’ for Gakpo)—6.8: Imperfect but bright. Was denied an equalizer by an outstanding José Sá save.
SUB: Andy Robertson (64’ for Kerkez)—6.6: Steady presence but nothing more. Overlaps were more of a decoy.
SUB: Joe Gomez (72’ for Frimpong)—6.0: Seemed like a planned substitution, but Gomez offered close to nothign and it his deflection that took André’s shot beyond Alisson.
SUB: Federico Chiesa (79’ for Konaté)—6.0: Optimistically tried his luck once or twice to no avail.
Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Calvin Ramsay, Trey Nyoni, Kieran Morrison.
What These Ratings Tell Us
- While much has been made of Alexis Mac Allister’s dip this season, Ryan Gravenberch has escaped such criticism for the most part. However, the Dutchman has been equally disappointing this season, and he was woeful for 45 minutes here. Slot had no choice but to hook his compatriot after a sloppy first half dominated by João Gomes. Gravenberch was booked for a late lunge on the Brazilian, contributing to his demise.
- Once again, Dominik Szoboszlai was Liverpool’s most impressive performer. The Hungarian has put the Reds on his back, and while he wasn’t outstanding on Tuesday night, he seemed the most likely to inspire something from nothing, primarily out of possession.
The Numbers That Explain Liverpool’s Night to Forget
- The Reds generated just 0.21 xG during an eventless first half, with the hosts keeping them at arm’s length but offering little attacking threat of their own.
- Liverpool ramped up the pressure after the restart, especially after conceding, ending the night with 1.87 xG and 19 total shots. They underperformed in front of goal.
- Rodrigo Gomes’ clever finish was Wolves’ first shot of the night.
- Set-pieces failed to return a goal for the visitors at Molineux, but they did generate one huge chance from a corner, with Gakpo toeing an effort onto the bar worth 0.54 xG.
| Statistic | Wolves | Liverpool |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 34% | 66% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 0.44 | 1.87 |
| Total Shots | 4 | 19 |
| Shots on Target | 3 | 7 |
| Big Chances | 2 | 4 |
| Passing Accuracy | 79% | 89% |
| Fouls Committed | 10 | 13 |
| Corners | 2 | 11 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Wolves: Champions League Hopes Dented After Shock Result.
