Liverpool were true to form early into their dreaded 12.30pm kickoff, but had the quality and depth to fight back for a 3-1 victory over Wolves.
Wolves 1-3 Liverpool
Premier League (5), Molineux
September 16, 2023
Goals
Hwang 7′
Gakpo 55′ (assist – Salah)
Robertson 85′ (assist – Salah)
Bueno OG 90+1′ (assist – Elliott)
Against a Liverpool lineup with three changes from the 3-0 win over Aston Villa and with 20-year-old Jarell Quansah making his first start, Wolves dominated early on.
With a Reds attack breaking down and Joel Matip tracking back, the 32-year-old saw himself skinned by Pedro Neto and the ball cut across for Hwang Hee-chan to fire in through Alisson.
Liverpool struggled to build anything in the opening half-hour and Alexis Mac Allister in particular struggled as No. 6 – unsurprisingly after a 6,000-mile journey back from the high altitude of Bolivia days previous.
There was big let-off after Neto beat Joe Gomez out wide, with his deft cross finding Matheus Cunha only for the striker to fluff it spectacularly.
At the other end, a completely absent Cody Gakpo followed suit, scuffing Andy Robertson‘s drilled cross well wide of the goal in (technically) one of few shots for the visitors.
The half ended with a flurry of efforts in the Wolves penalty area, but with players throwing themselves in the way both Mo Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai were left frustrated.
HT: Wolves 1-0 Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp made a bold and necessary change at the break, with Mac Allister relieved of his ailing duties and Luis Diaz sent on as Gakpo moved into midfield.
And as the manager prepared two more 10 minutes later, those brought off – Gakpo and Diogo Jota – were involved in the leveller: Jota finding Salah, whose driven ball was touched home by Gakpo for 1-1.
The introduction of Harvey Elliott and Darwin Nunez gave the Reds new life, and it took a big save from Jose Sa to deny the latter after a well-worked move.
With the momentum shifting in Liverpool’s favour it seemed only a matter of time for the chance to come, with Wolves more passive as they sat in.
And it was the most unlikely of scorers when it eventually did, with Robertson starting and finishing the move with a one-two off Salah and a comfortable effort from the captain.
There was still time for another, with Elliott’s deflected shot finding its way in for an own goal for Hugo Bueno and a 3-1 victory for Liverpool.
TIA Man of the Match: Andy Robertson
Referee: Michael Oliver
Wolves: Sa; Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Ait-Nouri (Bueno 66′); Gomes, Lemina (Traore 78′), Bellegarde (Doyle 77′); Neto, Hwang (Doherty 60′), Cunha (Silva 60′)
Subs not used: Bentley, Toti, Sarabia, Kalajdzic
Liverpool: Alisson; Gomez, Quansah (Konate 82′), Matip, Robertson; Mac Allister (Diaz 46′), Szoboszlai, Jones; Salah (Gravenberch 90+3′), Jota (Nunez 56′), Gakpo (Elliott 56′)
Subs not used: Kelleher, Tsimikas, Endo, Bajcetic
Next match: LASK (A) – Europa League – Thursday, September 21, 5.45pm (BST)
