Wolverhampton 0 - 1 Liverpool

Reds: Jota

Pre-Match

These last two (catastrophic) months have all but ended our league campaign. Even Top 4 would be a massive accomplishment at this point. That said, it would be nice if the Reds can reestablish some sort of (positive) league form for the run in, finish as high as possible, and gain some momentum to start next season. Also, just winning footy matches is nice, innit?

Klopp goes with the same lineup from Wednesday night, and it’s about the first time in forever that he’s been able to do that.

First Half

A big no-call early, in our favor, believe it or not. Alisson clatters into a Wolves attacker after clearing a cross. The ref waved to play on, but if he had given the pen, VAR wouldn’t have much to say to overturn that decision.

In the early going, Wolves have looked the better side. The Reds still look shaky at the back, and still bereft of ideas going forward...I type as Mané gets played in through on goal and 100% should have scored instead of barely getting a shot away. And once again Sadio should have gone to ground after the goalkeeper made contact. That way we could be mad at the anti-Liverpool refs instead of our favorite Senegalese citizen.

As we approach the half hour mark, the Reds have slowly gotten a foothold in the match, and have created a few chances.

Wolves, and any possible viewers, might have been lured into a false sense of security. Or boredom. Regardless, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Sadio combine for a phenomenal chance out of the blue. Sadio’s diving header goes just wide of the near post. Close!

GOAL! A moment after Wolves go close with a shot that flashed just wide of the target, Diogo Jota fires Liverpool ahead. The goal comes from a throw in near midfield. Mané picks out Salah, who crosses it back to Sadio, who in turn touches it into Jota’s path. The former Wolverhampton player finishes first time. The keeper got a hand to it, but not enough!

Second Half

Wolves start the half on the front foot, and Conor Coady goes close with a header at the back post. But he sends his effort over the bar. Top Red.

In the fifteen minutes since that early chance, not much has happened, which is perfect from a Liverpool perspective. The Reds have been quick to press and cut out most Wolves attempts to cross into the Liverpool half, turning this match into a bit of a stalemate. I, for one, would happily take a 1-0 win.

Klopp makes his first two changes, bringing James Milner and Naby Keita on for Gini Wijnaldum and Thiago.

As the game approaches the final 10 minutes, it’s still very much in the balance. But Liverpool look just as, if not more likely, to score a second as Wolves do of scoring an equalizer. Klopp makes one final change, hooking goalscorer Jota for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

This is a really scary moment. Wolverhampton’s keeper, Patricio, appears to be out cold on the pitch following a collision with his own defender. He is motionless and the stretchers are out. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious, and he can make a speedy recovery. Then again, the medics attended to him for a solid 13-14 minutes, so it doesn’t look promising. Yikes. The positive news is that the Wolves were able to use a newly implemented concussion substitute, which is absolutely a win for the players and sport.

The ref finally blows the whistle in the 108th minute, and Liverpool hold on for the win!

Final Thoughts

Liverpool won! A Premier League match! Granted, our six-match Anfield losing streak is still going, but maybe we can sort that out after the international break? It might be too little, too late, but it would be nice if this marked the start of a better run of form from the Reds.