The Reds produced a stunning second-half comeback to beat Wolves on Saturday afternoon.
Liverpool worked hard, but on Saturday afternoon they secured their fourth consecutive win of the season and came back against Wolverhampton Wanderers after falling behind in a slow and disjointed first period.
Hwang Hee-chan opened the scoring in seven minutes, sending in a poor shot from Pedro Neto.
From then on the hosts were in charge, pressing the Reds from above and causing all sorts of problems on the counterattack.
Matheus Cunha should have added a second after a nice cross from Neto.
The Reds failed to win any of their six Premier League games in this time slot last season and, having conceded goals, this trend has shown little sign of stopping as the Old Gold have shown fluidity in possession, energy in the press and immediacy. over the counter.
But Gary O’Neil’s side were to be punished for their wasted chances as a second-half comeback, led by the ruthless Mohamed Salah and some impactful substitutions from Jurgen Klopp, saw Liverpool reverse the deficit and reach the 3-1 victory.
Who impressed for Liverpool against Wolves?
Although Salah received most of the praise for providing two assists in the second period, it was their ‘Duracell bunny’ of Andy Robertson, who led the attack on the left and marked his 200th appearance for the club by scoring a late goal.
The Scot replaced the suspended Virgil van Dijk as captain and filled that role to perfection.
He appeared in the penalty area and calmly slid the ball past Jose Sa’s frame after playing a one-two with Salah.
Robertson’s goal was reward for the goalscoring display of the visitors in the second half, when Luis Diaz’s introduction saw the left-back break free higher up the pitch, reminding Klopp of his future qualities, which subsequently saw him labeled an “attack machine”. ” by Liverpool journalist Sean.
According to Sofascore, Robertson would become a thorn in the side of Wolves’ right flank with seven crosses, one shot on target, 103 touches and placing 92% of his passes accurately, crucial to preventing the hosts from building up in the second half. period. and make your way down the field with his powerful running style.
Although the Scot delivered a performance synonymous with years gone by, Klopp must consider dropping fellow defender Joel Matip after being “miles apart” on Saturday afternoon, as James Pearce noted.
How did Joel Matip perform against Wolves?
Last season Liverpool came under scrutiny for their apparent lack of defensive organization and in Virgil van Dijk’s absence they were once again all over the place as Wolves burst out of the blocks and overwhelmed their opponents.
Neto’s skill, confidence and ambition led the attack as the Portuguese delivered a significant end product with his brilliant build-up play.
With Wolves producing an avalanche of attacks, the Reds needed an experienced leader at the heart of their defense to bring some calm to proceedings, and although Matip is so often associated with that goal, the Cameroonian was l ‘one of the players to blame. for Liverpool’s first-half implosion.
The 32-year-old was supposed to be a role model for 20-year-old debutant Jarell Quansah, but instead of using his experience to lead from behind, Matip allowed the Molineux crowd to swallow him up and endured a nightmare performance .
Despite their obvious defensive struggles in the opening third, Quansah performed exceptionally well in defence, winning three of his four ground duels, achieving a success rate of 96%, making three tackles and placing both of his long ball attempts with precision according to Sofascore.
While the youngster led by example, senior Matip buckled under the weight of expectations, gifting the ball to the opposition 11 times, winning just one of his three ground duels, making one tackle and missing five of his six long ball attempts. After this performance, Matip’s place in the team could be under threat and with van Dijk returning ahead of their home game against West Ham, the £100,000-a-week player could be the one to make way.
