Jürgen Klopp described this week as Liverpool’s opportunity to give their season “a little push” in the direction of genuine recovery and, possibly, Champions League qualification. Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah duly obliged, leading the way as they have done throughout their Anfield careers.
Part one of a key Anfield double-header proved a test of patience against Wolves and ultimately a reward for Liverpool’s composure. Klopp’s team grew stronger as the night wore on, refused to lose their focus after VAR intervened to disallow a Darwin Núñez goal in the second half, and finally broke the visitors’ resistance through a Van Dijk header and Salah’s 20th goal of the campaign.
Salah has hit the 20-goal landmark in each of his six seasons at Liverpool and was a menace to Julen Lopetegui’s side throughout. Klopp will also draw encouragement from his team’s defensive improvement ahead of Manchester United’s visit on Sunday.
Since losing 3-0 at Molineux early last month, Liverpool have kept four successive clean sheets in the Premier League and welcomed back Ibrahima Konaté here following a month out with a hamstring injury. Victory lifted Liverpool to sixth and six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand.
“I think the whole story of the game is an important one for us,” said Klopp. “There was a lot of good stuff in the first half but we didn’t create many clear-cut chances. We wanted to rush it because it wasn’t happening but then we calmed down and found football-patience again. When you see the [Núñez] goal in slow motion there is contact but I still think it is a goal. For the players it is a clear goal but then you have to react and the reaction was very good.”
Wolves flattered to deceive. They were quickly into their stride with João Moutinho testing Alisson, Pablo Sarabia just failing to connect with a free header at the back post and Van Dijk making a well-timed block on another drive from the Portugal international midfielder. Once their initial threat was contained, however, Alisson was barely troubled again and Lopetegui was dismayed at his team’s anaemic second-half display.
Liverpool wrestled control midway through the first half. Salah began to dominate Hugo Bueno, prior to the Wolves left-back departing with a hamstring strain, and did likewise to his replacement, Rayan Ait-Nouri.
The energy of Stefan Bajcetic and Harvey Elliott also told against the Wolves midfield while Klopp’s decision to switch Núñez and Diogo Jota, to centre-forward and left of the attack respectively, sparked improvement on the half-hour.
Elliott should have opened the scoring when Jota released Núñez to the byline and the Uruguay international floated a perfect cross into Wolves’ six-yard box. The midfielder, arriving unmarked, steered a free header wide from close range. The youngster was closer in first-half stoppage time when Núñez chested a Trent Alexander-Arnold ball into his path. Elliott’s shot bobbled towards the bottom corner only for José Sá to produce a fine save low to his left. Núñez headed the subsequent corner high over the bar.
Lopetegui replaced the booked Sarabia with Adama Traoré at half-time in a bid to rediscover the urgency that had vanished from Wolves’ attacking display. It never reappeared. Fabinho was booked for catching Mario Lemina’s knee with his studs after the Wolves midfielder had dived into a challenge to retrieve a loose first touch. The Brazil international pleaded his innocence but was fortunate to escape a second yellow card when clipping João Gomes as the substitute attempted to break away.
The stalemate appeared to be over when Núñez slotted into the far corner following a determined run into the area by Jota. As Liverpool celebrated in front of the Kop, Wolves’ players pleaded with the referee Paul Tierney to check what they claimed was a foul by Jota on Kilman just before Núñez converted. VAR sent Tierney to the pitchside monitor where Wolves’ argument was confirmed. The goal was disallowed, but the reprieve did not last long.
Moments later Van Dijk towered above Wolves’ defence to head Alexander-Arnold’s free-kick goalwards. Sá scrambled across his line to save but kept the ball in play rather than tip it behind for a corner and found Jota lurking near the byline. The former Wolves forward clipped back across goal and Van Dijk was on hand to head home from two yards out.
Liverpool doubled their advantage in flowing style shortly afterwards. Receiving a clearance from Alisson out on the touchline, Kostas Tsimikas exchanged passes with substitute Cody Gakpo before sprinting clear down the left. The full-back’s cross was thighed in by Salah, sprinting in to convert at close range, and Liverpool were safely home.
