2024-09-29 02:10:04
Liverpool face Wolves in today’s late kick-off at the Molineux, with Arne Slot’s side looking to retain a place near the top of the Premier League table.
The Reds convincingly beat Bournemouth last time out, recovering from a 1-0 loss to Forest by putting three past their opponents, with Luis Diaz scoring a double.
Wolves took the lead against Aston Villa in their Midlands derby last week, only to lose 3-1 thanks to late goals from Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran. Gary O’Neil’s side currently sit bottom of the league, with just one point gained and 14 goals conceded, and are looking for their first win of the season in what will surely be a difficult game against Slot’s developing Liverpool team.
Relive all the action from the Premier League match below:
Liverpool edge to narrow 2-1 win over Wolves
Mohamed Salah’s second-half penalty secures all three points to send the Reds top of the Premier League table
Basement club Wolves showed heart but remain rooted to the foot of the table
FULL-TIME! Wolves 1-2 Liverpool
61’ GOAL! Salah gives Liverpool the lead after Semedo brought down Jota [WOL 1-2 LIV]
56’ GOAL! Ait-Nouri levels it after a defensive mix-up from Liverpool [WOL 1-1 LIV]
50’ CLOSE! Salah misses an open net after Lemina’s poor pass across goal [WOL 0-1 LIV]
47’ GOAL! Konate heads Liverpool in front just before half-time [WOL 0-1 LIV]
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 1 – 2 Liverpool FC
20:02 , Chris Wilson
Arne Slot also spoke to Sky Sports, and he says that in the short term, the results are more important than the performance.
“For the long term you have to look at the performance. I don’t think we started well but you have to give credit to Wolves.
“They overloaded our right side a lot with many players. That’s why it was difficult at the start but second half we came out much better.
“The energy and intensity was much higher than the first 15 minutes.
“I saw the first goal and what stands out is the patience we have. In general we were much more patient.
The Dutchman goes on to praise Gravnberch and Mac Allister, before addressing Liverpool’s status as potential title contenders.
“We have a lot to prove when we come across the top sides. It’s good that we are where we are at the moment.
“I always try to be realistic, Jurgen’s work has been fantastic. We have to prove we can do it in the Champions League and Premier League.”
19:55 , Chris Wilson
Toti Gomes is the Wolves player speaking to Sky, and he calls it “a tough defeat”.
“We started well and we were a bit unlucky suffering the first goal, but we responded immediately in the first half.
“We were not paying attention to some details. We deserved something from this game – at least a point.
“All the details count especially against the big teams. If you do little mistakes they will make a goal and we will suffer.
“It is not easy, but it is a matter of time [until results improve].
“We are not in a good phase, but we have to stick together. We have had tough defeats against big teams but we are going to keep fighting and we have a lot to prove.
“I ask the fans to stick with us, as we are going to keep improving.”
19:48 , Chris Wilson
Konate and Gravenberch have been speaking to Sky Sports, and the former says that the team are “really happy”.
“Wolves were very good today and it was tough for us. We did really well”
Gravenberch says a team like Liverpool “has to be in the top four for sure, but we keep pushing”.
Konate adds that “every game is very hard” in the Premier League.
“But the fans expect three points, and we did it. We have an important game on Wednesday and we have to start the recovery now.
““We missed concentration and we have to work on it. Everything cannot be perfect every time. We need more focus during the game.”
19:42 , Chris Wilson
Wolves’ next match sees them travel to Brentford on Saturday, for a 3pm kick-off.
Liverpool host Bologna in the Champions League on Wednesday, before they too travel to south London – they face Crystal Palace in the early kick-off on Saturday.
19:37 , Chris Wilson
That result puts Liverpool top of the Premier League, with 15 points. They sit one point above Manchester City and Arsenal.
Wolves sit at the other end of the table, bottom with just one point gained and 10 goals conceded.
19:32 , Chris Wilson
19:27 , Chris Wilson
96 mins
Suffice to say that Wolves are playing quite badly. They’re barely even willing to take the risk to throw men forwards as they look for an equaliser.
Another pass is played straight to a red shirt and the referee blows the final whistle!
Liverpool take three points in the end.
19:26 , Chris Wilson
95 mins
Time for one more Wolves attack, but it isn’t promising much.
liverpool give it away to Toti, who plays it across to Forbs. They go backwards to Lemina before Semedo plays a poor cross straight to a red shirt.
19:24 , Chris Wilson
93 mins
A slick move from Liverpool creates an opening in the box and the cross is fizzed across goal by Gakpo, but there’s nobody on the end of it.
At the other end, Alisson collects the ball once more after a brief Wolves attack.
19:23 , Chris Wilson
91 mins
Forbs has been one of Wolves’ only bright sparks since he came on, and he tries to get things moving, first with a cross and then with a dribble, but the ball ends up with Alisson.
There’ll be six minutes of added time.
19:21 , Chris Wilson
89 mins
This has been a very strange match overall. Both sides have been pedestrian, but Liverpool almost look deliberately so, while Wolves have been forced into it by their lack of quality.
Wolves are really struggling in attack at the moment though, and Liverpool are happy to keep things as they are.
19:19 , Chris Wilson
87 mins
Robertson comes off for Joe Gomez.
19:18 , Chris Wilson
85 mins
Wolves are really lacking ideas here, as Forbs is given a yellow card for raking his studs down Robertson’s Achilles.
19:14 , Chris Wilson
83 mins
A Liverpool corner goes all the way to an unmarked Jota at the far post, but he wasn’t expecting it and can’t react in time to turn it in.
19:13 , Chris Wilson
81 mins
Salah wins a corner after bursting into the box, but he’s got a lot more urgency than his teammates at the moment. Robertson swings in the set-piece but Lemina heads clear, before Gravenberch does well to skip past a challenge in the area but then messes up the pass.
19:10 , Chris Wilson
78 mins
Better from the away side as Salah lays off a simple pass to Jones, who fizzes in a low shot that Johnstone gets down to save.
19:08 , Chris Wilson
77 mins
Some poor decision-making from both sides results in Liverpool making a mistake when they really should’ve scored. Semedo’s shot is charged down by Jones and Salah is clean through just past halfway. He opts to try and play the early through ball but he plays it straight to an orange shirt! Wasteful.
Wolves bring on Doyle for Bueno.
19:05 , Chris Wilson
75 mins
Andre tries to thread another audacious through ball into Forbs, but Alisson was alert to it. The home side are keeping possession far better at the moment.
19:03 , Chris Wilson
73 mins
Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones come on for Diaz and Szoboszlai.
19:03 , Chris Wilson
72 mins
Much better from Wolves as Andre wins possession and they sweep it wide to Forbs. He cuts inside Alexander-Arnold to shoot, but Konate has tracked back and slides in to divert the shot behind.
19:01 , Chris Wilson
69 mins
Still fairly pedestrian from Liverpool. They’re playing as if they’re 3-1 up in the 93rd minute, but it seems to be working so far.
Their first injection of pace in a little while sees them win a corner.
18:59 , Chris Wilson
67 mins
Liverpool are still guilty of some sloppy passes, but Wolves can’t take advantage yet. Cunha is the latest to pick up a loose pass, but he fires wide from distance.
Hee-Chan Hwang replaces Strand Larsen.
18:55 , Chris Wilson
65 mins
Half a chance for Salah as Mac Allister wins possession and Liverpool break. They feed it to the Egyptian on the right, and he cuts in and hits a tame shot at Johnstone.
18:54 , Chris Wilson
63 mins
Konate is booked for sliding in on Cunha. Wolves may have given up the second goal easily, but they look like they’ve got some confidence from their goal.
18:52 , Chris Wilson
61 min
GOAL! Salah steps up and sends Johnstone the wrong way! 2-1.
18:51 , Chris Wilson
57 mins
PENALTY! It’s all happening now.
Alexander-Arnold floats in a cross and it looks like Jota will get a head to it, but he’s dragged down by Semedo! Stone wall again.
18:49 , Chris Wilson
56 mins
GOAL! Out of nowhere, Wolves are level!
It’s a mess from Liverpool in truth, too. It begins with brilliant work from Lemina, who breaks free in his half and feeds Cunha. The Brazilian tries to thread the ball to Strand Larsen, but Konate is covering. However, the Frenchman doesn’t deal with it properly and the Wolves man nips in to steal the ball and pass across to Forbs.
The sub stumbles as he tries to hit it under a challenge and the ball rolls to Ait-Nouri, who bundles it into the back of the net!
18:45 , Chris Wilson
54 mins
Still very easy for Liverpool to control this one, even if they haven’t really left first gear. Wolves’ problem is illustrated perfectly as Johnstone collects a cross and there are no options for him to offload the ball to.
Wolves do mount an attack, but Cunha’s cross comes back off himself and off for a corner.
18:43 , Chris Wilson
51 mins
Bellegarde comes off for Carlos Forbs as Gary O’Neil makes his first throw of the dice.
18:41 , Chris Wilson
49 mins
CLOSE!
Johnstone is out of his goal and Lemina gives the ball straight to Salah with a horrible pass across his area, but the Egyptian is forced to take it first-time with his weaker foot and he can’t find the target.
18:39 , Chris Wilson
47 mins
Cunha is irritated as he beats two men on the wing but the referee deems the ball to have been out of play. The second half has started in much the same way as the first went.
Bellegarde tries to clip in a cross but it hits the side-netting.
18:36 , Chris Wilson
The home side get the second half started.
18:34 , Chris Wilson
The two sides are re-emerging from the Molineux tunnel, so we’ll be back underway soon.
18:32 , Chris Wilson
There have been some suggestions that Wolves’ position and points tally may not be representative of how they’ve played this season, though they’ve offered very little so far this half.
Liverpool haven’t played particularly well, but they’re ahead and also had the best chances overall – they should really be 2-0 up and out of sight.
The away side have a big task on their hands to turn this around, even if Liverpool are a little out of sorts.
18:27 , Chris Wilson
18:22 , Chris Wilson
The referee brings the first half to an end at the Molineux, and Liverpool go into the break with a one-goal advantage.
Both sides struggled to impact the game for large parts of the first period, but the half ends with Konate rising high to head his side into the lead.
Hardly a classic, but an interesting second half to come. Liverpool are top of the league as it stands.
18:20 , Chris Wilson
48 mins
Bellegarde tries to find a way through but he’s dispossessed. Rather than fly forward for the quick counter, Liverpool are happy to keep the ball and see the half through.
18:19 , Chris Wilson
47 mins
GOAL! And the away side are ahead!
They’ve played a few balls into the box, but this one changes things! Jota takes his man on down the left and hooks in a great cross – Ibrahima Konate is there to rise highest and power a header downwards and past Johnstone.
18:17 , Chris Wilson
46 mins
There’ll be four minutes of added time here.
It’s Liverpool finishing the half on top at the moment.
18:16 , Chris Wilson
44 mins
There’s a real lull in activity at the Molineux as the half draws to a close. The home side try and launch a counter, with Cunha bursting into the Liverpool half and to the box, but there’s no support and he loses out.
18:13 , Chris Wilson
42 mins
Both sides are still guilty of wasting possession and potential chances, with both also using tactical fouls to disrupt the flow of the game.
18:12 , Chris Wilson
38 mins
CLOSE! How has this not gone in?!
Van Dijk finds Robertson with a superb through ball, and the Scot’s cross is equally as brilliant. It’s put between Toti and the ‘keeper, and it’s straight to Szoboszlai, but he can only direct his effort right at Johnstone, and he makes a great save.
18:08 , Chris Wilson
36 mins
Ait-Nouri fizzes a ball across the box but there’s nobody there to convert, and Alisson collects. Wolves can’t seem to recover that early tempo that they showed.
18:06 , Chris Wilson
34 mins
Jota comes in from behind on Lemina, with his foot going down his Achilles, and the Gabonese midfielder stays down for treatment.
The Liverpool man is given a yellow card after a brief VAR check.
18:04 , Chris Wilson
32 mins
That free-kick was the first shot on target so far (to provide some indication of the kind of match it’s been).
It’s still pretty stop-start at the Molineux, with little happening of note.
18:02 , Chris Wilson
30 mins
Liverpool look to have settled now and they’re on top at the moment. They’ve just won a free-kick near the edge of the box as Andre lunges in on Mac Allister.
It’ll be Alexander-Arnold to take – and he fires it straight at Johnstone.
17:59 , Chris Wilson
28 mins
Alexander-Arnold plays a brilliant early cross in, but Jota narrowly misses it. Better from Liverpool.
17:58 , Chris Wilson
75 mins
Liverpool win a corner and it’s Alexander-Arnold to deliver, but it’s a poor ball in. Liverpool come again but Wolves are making life difficult for them, and Johnstone eventually gets it clear.
Not a lot happening for Arne Slot’s side yet, but they’ve grown into it over the last five minutes or so.
17:54 , Chris Wilson
23 mins
Bellegarde is dispossessed in his own half and the ball is played to Salah, but his cross is poor.
17:52 , Chris Wilson
21 mins
Two half-chances for Wolves in as many minutes. The first comes after great work from Semedo, who beats three men on the touchline and delivers a dangerous cross that Alisson has to come out and punch away. It is almost cleared but Lemina dispossesses Diaz and puts another inviting cross in, which is headed away.
17:50 , Chris Wilson
19 mins
A pass back to the centre-back from Bellegarde draws an irritated reaction from the crowd. He tries to take on Konate next time, but loses out.
Liverpool lose possession quickly though – they haven’t quite got to grips with this game yet.
17:47 , Chris Wilson
17 mins
The attempts to play it out from the back go wrong and Liverpool win a corner. Robertson gets a second chance to deliver and it’s a good ball in, but Wolves manage to deal with it.
17:45 , Chris Wilson
14 mins
Diaz’s ball is caught by Johnstone, and Wolves counter, but Bellegarde’s cross has too much on it for Strand Larsen.
No big chances for either side yet.
17:43 , Chris Wilson
12 mins
Muted shouts for a penalty as Salah is dragged down in a tangle with Bueno as they fought to get to Robertson’s cross, but nothing doing for the referee.
17:41 , Chris Wilson
11 mins
Salah curls in an inviting cross as Jota’s making the diagonal run, but it just misses the foot of the Portuguese forward.
17:40 , Chris Wilson
9 mins
Cunha tries to get in behind the away defence but van Dijk is equal to it. Liverpool try and break but Szobozslai’s ball to Salah is sloppy.
17:38 , Chris Wilson
7 mins
Wolves haven’t started badly, and they work a decent combination in midfield between Bellegarde and Ait-Nouri before he latter is fouled. His set-piece delivery is easily dealt with.
17:37 , Chris Wilson
6 mins
Alexander-Arnold is given an early booking for kicking the ball away after he’d made a foul.
17:35 , Chris Wilson
4 mins
Finally a decent half-chance as Wolves attack, with the ball flicked on to Bellegarde before his cross is cut out by van Dijk.
Moments later, the Frenchman snaps at a shot and it’s right at Alisson.
17:34 , Chris Wilson
3 mins
Van Dijk attempts the long ball over the top to Salah, but it runs to Johnstone. Not much action at the start of this one.
17:32 , Chris Wilson
1 min
Wolves look to make a quick start and they’re on the attack straight away, but it isn’t troubling the Liverpool defence.
17:31 , Chris Wilson
The away side get us underway.
17:27 , Chris Wilson
The sides are in the tunnel and we’re approaching kick-off. Liverpool will go top of the league with a win today remember.
Wolves would climb from bottom to 16th with a win.
17:20 , Chris Wilson
17:15 , Chris Wilson
The home side have lost more Premier League games against Liverpool than they have vs any other opponent – 16.
Wolves have lost 14 of their last 15 against the Reds in the league, with the exception being a 3-0 home win in February 2023.
Gary O’Neil’s side are without a league win so far this season, having drawn one game and lost four. Only in 2003/04 (first seven) and 2019/20 (first six) have they gone longer without a victory from the start of a Premier League campaign.
No Premier League side is on a longer run without a clean sheet than Wolves, who have conceded in each of their last 17 league matches.
Since the start of last season, Matheus Cunha has been involved in more Premier League goals for Wolves than any other player, with 21 – 14 goals and 7 assists.
17:08 , Chris Wilson
Liverpool have won five of their last six Premier League games, keeping a clean sheet in each victory.
In addition, the Reds have kept a clean sheet in 65 per cent of their Premier League games against Wolves.
Arne Slot’s side have conceded the fewest goals of any Premier League side so far this season (just one), while no team has shipped more than Wolves’s 14.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s assist against Bournemouth last weekend was his 59th in the Premier League, moving him level with teammate Andrew Robertson for most assists by a defender in the competition’s history.
Luis Díaz has been involved in six goals in his last four Premier League appearances, scoring five and assisting one. He’s scored a brace in two of his last three for the Reds.
17:01 , Chris Wilson
Here are the other results from around the Premier League then, as we approach the final match of the day.
Newcastle 1-1 Manchester City
Arsenal 4-2 Leicester City
Chelsea 4-2 Brighton
Brentford 1-1 West Ham
Everton 2-1 Crystal Palace
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Fulham
16:50 , Chris Wilson
Liverpool and Wolves have played a total of 116 matches, with the first taking place in September 1894. Liverpool have won 61, with Wolves winning 37 and the other 18 matches ending in draws.
The Reds won both matches last season, winning 3-1 at the Molineux in September 2023 before securing a 2-0 victory at Anfield on the final dauy of the season.
16:40 , Chris Wilson
If it seems that Arne Slot is picking on Trent Alexander-Arnold in the Liverpool dressing room, it is not because of a problem between them. Quite the opposite, actually. Because the right-back had an unusual request. He wanted his manager to criticise him, sometimes in front of his teammates. He asked him to mention every time a forward beat him and to brand it unacceptable. It is a punishing approach designed to make him better. He feels that Slot, with his attention to detail and track record of improving players, can help.
There is an understandable focus on their relationship. Alexander-Arnold represented one of the great triumphs of Jurgen Klopp’s management: first his decision not to buy a right-back because he knew of a teenage talent in the ranks, then as an extraordinary creator who reshaped Liverpool’s tactics as the full-backs attacked more than the midfield, and finally as the vice-captain who inverted into midfield.
It did not escape attention that Slot substituted Alexander-Arnold in each of his first three games or that the 25-year-old was unhappy to be taken off against Brentford. It is a cause of some concern that Alexander-Arnold is in the last year of his contract at Anfield. Yet if mentions of his future can involve talk of a free transfer last summer, Alexander-Arnold voiced his own ambition: to become the toughest defender to encounter in Europe.
Can’t defend? Trent Alexander-Arnold out to reinvent himself as tough full-back
16:30 , Chris Wilson
Liverpool sit second in the Premier League table after an impressive bounceback win over Bournemouth at the weekend and Jamie Carragherhas made a fresh title prediction involving the Reds after watching Arsenal’s draw at Manchester City.
Arne Slot’s side responded to their shock 1-0 Anfield defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest a week ago by brushing aside Bournemouth thanks to a Luis Diaz double and Darwin Nunez’s exquisite finish.
That victory has taken them to 12 points after just five games, with Callum Hudson-Odoi’s stunner for Forest the only goal they have conceded in the league so far this term, as Slot has quickly put his stamp on the side in the post-Jurgen Klopp era.
But despite Liverpool’s strong start, Reds legend and current Sky Sports pundit Carragher admits that Arsenal and City are still above Slot’s men as favourites for the title.
“I think it will be similar to last season where Liverpool are just slightly behind these two teams,” said Carragher on the Gary Neville Podcast. “By next season they could be really improving and maybe looking to go for it when the manager knows everything about his squad.”
Jamie Carragher makes Liverpool title race prediction after Man City-Arsenal draw
16:26 , Chris Wilson
Arne Slot has made two changes to the side that eased past Bournemouth last week in that 3-0 victory.
Alisson returns in place of Kelleher in goal, while in attack Darwin Nunez drops to the bench in favour of Diogo Jota.
16:21 , Chris Wilson
Wolves have made two changes to the side that lost that Midlands derby last weekend. They’re both in defence, with the injured Mosquera being replaced by Santiago Bueno, and Craig Dawson replaced by Toti Gomes.
16:18 , Chris Wilson
Wolves XI: Johnstone; Semedo, Bueno, Toti, Ait-Nouri; Andre, Gomes, Lemina; Bellegarde, Cunha, Stand Larsen.
Subs: Sa, Doherty, Hwang, Gomes, Forbs, Doyle, Sarabia, Guedes, Pond.
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Szobozslai, Mac Allister; Salah, Jota, Diaz.
Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Endo, Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo, Tsimikas, Quansah, Bradley.
16:12 , Chris Wilson
The line-ups are just a few minutes away…
16:10 , Chris Wilson
Liverpool will have enough to come through the match unscathed, piling further misery on to Wolves and cementing their own place near the top of the Premier League.
Wolves 0-2 Liverpool.
16:02 , Chris Wilson
Wolves XI: Johnstone; Semedo, Bueno, Dawson, Ait-Nouri; Andre; Bellgarde, Gomes, Lemina, Cunha; Strand Larsen.
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, MacAllister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Nunez.
Odds:
Wolves 11/2
Draw 16/5
Liverpool 1/4
15:55 , Chris Wilson
Wolves will be without Yerson Mosquera after the Colombia defender had to be stretchered off against Aston Villa. He will likely be replaced by Santiago Bueno in central defence.
The midfield and attack will likely remain the same as it was against Villa, with Mario Lemina, João Gomes, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Matheus Cunha having cemented their places in the starting eleven.
In addition, new signing Jørgen Strand Larsen will likely start up front once more.
15:50 , Chris Wilson
For Liverpool, Arne Slot has no new injury concerns after the game against West Ham. Alisson is targeting a return for this weekend, though Slot may be forced to go with Caoimhin Kelleher again in goal.
Federico Chiesa could play after featuring against West Ham in midweek, though he is unlikely to start ahead of Salah and the in-form Diaz.
In defence, the usual quartet will likely start, as will Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis MacAllister in midfield. It remains to be seen whether slot will once again favour Darwin Nunez up front over ex-Wolves man Diogo Jota.
15:45 , Chris Wilson
When is Wolves vs Liverpool?
The match will kick off at 5:30pm BST on Saturday, 28 September, at the Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton.
How can I watch it?
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with the build-up starting from 5pm BST.
If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
15:40 , Chris Wilson
Liverpool travel to Wolves in Saturday’s late match in the Premier League, with kick-off at 5.30pm BST at the Molineux Stadium.
The Reds have had a good fortnight since the loss to Nottingham Forest, beating AC Milan 3-1 at the San Siro before a 3-0 win against Bournemouth at Anfield last weekend.
Arne Slot’s side remain near the top of the Premier League table after five matches of the Dutchman’s tenure, and a win today would help to further solidify their title credentials.
Wolves have had a contrasting start to their season, with Gary O’Neil’s side sitting bottom of the league with just one point gained and 14 goals conceded.
While a win this afternoon would lift the mood at the Molineux, it is difficult to see the home side troubling a Liverpool side that seems to be enjoying its development under a new manager.
15:31 , Chris Wilson
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of this evening’s match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at the Molineux.
Wolves head into the weekend at bottom of the Premier League table, having gained just one point over their first five matches.
Conversely, Liverpool start the weekend in second, just one point behind Manchester City, having won four and lost one of their opening matches.
Kareena Kapoor is working with Raazi director Meghna Gulzar for her next film. The project,…
2024-11-09 15:00:03 WEST LAFAYETTE -- Daniel Jacobsen's second game in Purdue basketball's starting lineup lasted…
2024-11-09 14:50:03 Rashida Jones is remembering her late father, famed music producer Quincy Jones, in…
2024-11-09 14:40:03 A silent German expressionist film about vampires accompanied by Radiohead’s music — what…
Let's face it - life can be downright stressful! With everything moving at breakneck speed,…
Apple’s redesigned Mac Mini M4 has ditched the previous M2 machine’s SSD that was soldered…