- Liverpool played host to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield in a Premier League match-up on Wednesday night
- The Reds needed a win to bolster their chances of finishing in the top four at the end of the campaign
- Goals from Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah made sure Liverpool sealed the victory
Liverpool trounced Wolves on a rainy night at Anfield, ultimately winning 2-0 in a Premier League clash thanks to goals from Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah in the second half.
It was their fourth encounter in the past two months; they had also played twice in the third round of the FA Cup and once at Molineux in the Premier League.
This familiarity may be the reason why the game was so close for the first three-quarters, with neither side managing to produce much of note until Van Dijk’s header 17 minutes from the end.
Four minutes later, Salah gave Liverpool some breathing room as they moved up to sixth place in the standings in their pursuit of the top four and Champions League qualifying.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring the second against Wolves in the Premier League on Wednesday, March 1 2023. | PHOTO: Independent |
The first noteworthy opportunity belonged to the guests, as Joao Moutinho’s attempt from the edge of the box forced Alisson to make an early save to his right.
Although Harvey Elliott should have given the hosts the lead in the 40th minute, Wolves’ disciplined defence held Liverpool at bay for the majority of the first half.
Darwin Nunez cut the ball back from the left, and Elliott headed wide from close range. Just before the half, Nunez chested the ball to Elliott on the edge of the box, but Jose Sa denied him once more.
Just after the hour mark, Liverpool believed they had taken the lead when Nunez had an opportunity to hammer the loose ball into the goal thanks to a sharp run from Diogo Jota. However, referee Paul Tierney later ruled Jota had fouled a Wolves defender after being sent to the VAR monitor.
However, Van Dijk headed a Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick towards the goal off his shoulder in the 73rd minute. Sa made a good save to his right, but Jota pulled it back for the Dutch defender to head in.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk celebrates after scoring the opener against Wolves in the Premier League at Anfield. | PHOTO: Liverpool |
Soon after, Kostas Tsimikas and substitute Cody Gakpo played a one-two that enabled the Greek left-back to sprint forward, setting up Salah for a simple tap-in and giving Liverpool three crucial points.
Liverpool finding domestic form
It could be argued that Liverpool’s performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League last week made it appear worse than it actually was.
In the league, Klopp’s team has now won three of their last four games (D1) while maintaining four straight clean sheets in an effort to catch up to teams above them.
With a draw, Wolves would have moved up two spots in the standings, but defeat leaves them in 15th place, just three points above the drop zone.
Salah closes in on Liverpool league record
Salah’s goal against Wolves was his 127th Premier League goal for Liverpool, putting him one away from passing Robbie Fowler as the club’s all-time leading scorer in the league. He has now scored in three straight home league games against Wolves.
Wolves will be welcoming Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux on Saturday, while Liverpool hosts Manchester United on Sunday.
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