Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah scored 2nd half goals just four minutes apart as Liverpool came alive after a lacklustre first half to beat Wolverhampton 2-0 Wednesday evening at Anfield. The win moves the club to 6th on the table, past Fulham on goal difference.
First Half
Stefan Bajcetic had an early chance on goal as he forced José Sá into a save in the 3rd minute. Raul Jimenez returned the favour for the Wolves in the 4th, but Alisson was up to the challenge with a save.
Liverpool continued to look lively as they earned a corner in the 11th minute, but then the match slowed as neither side put much pressure on the opposing goal. The Reds did get another corner near the half-hour mark, but Sá claimed the chance. Harvey Elliott missed an open header in the 40th minute, with an attempt that went wide. Elliott also forced a save from Sá in first-half stoppage time, but thanks to that stop, the match went to halftime scoreless.
Second Half
Trent Alexander-Arnold had a shot blocked in the 46th minute and Elliott put another shot right at Sá in the 55th minute. The game continued to slog along until the 66th minute. Diogo Jota made a long run into the box and laid the ball off to Darwin Núñez who slotted it home for an apparent goal, but it was disallowed due to a Jota foul.
That decision did not keep Liverpool off of the scoreboard for long. Virgil van Dijk came up from the back and nodded home a set-piece goal thanks to an assist from Jota. That play caused a huge sigh of relief and a big cheer from Anfield as Liverpool took a 1-0 lead in the 73rd minute
The Reds struck again quickly as Kostas Tsimikas broke away on a counterattack after a nice pass from Cody Gakpo. Tsimikas played the ball across the box to Mohamed Salah for an easy finish and a 2-0 lead in the 77th minute. From there, the Liverpool defence did enough to see out the match, earning a big three points and their 4th straight Premier League clean sheet.
The King Of Consistency
When Mo Salah scored in the 77th minute, it was his 20th goal across all competitions this season. That means that the Egyptian King has scored at least 20 goals in all 5 years of his Liverpool career. Salah needed just 36 games to reach the 20-goal mark in 2022-23, so he has plenty of time to add to the tally.
A Big Week For Van Dijk
The defender was recently named as part of FIFA's FIFPRO World 11, honouring him as one of the best players in the world. He went out and proved it today and celebrated the honour with a big header that put Liverpool in front and took the life out of the Wolves.
“It was a big win, so now we have to get ready for the next one,” van Dijk said following the match. “I think the games we have played against them (Wolves) have been tough and this one was quite tough, but we had to stay patient.”
Slow Start, Fast Finish
Liverpool looked like two different teams during each half of the match. During the first half, they showed very little offensive push and poor passing, which gave away possession. In the 2nd half, they drove the ball forward with purpose and posed much more of a threat. The effort produced two goals and would have done a third if not for VAR. Let's hope this type of play carries over to the next match vs Manchester United.
LFC Globe Verdict
If Liverpool can reproduce the way they played in the 2nd half today, there is no doubt in my mind they can make a push for a Champions League spot next season. I think Jürgen Klopp was brilliant in naming the Starting XI. Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas played very well, rewarding the boss's faith in them. That will only make the team better in the long run knowing that you have to stay sharp to earn minutes on the pitch and if not, Klopp is not afraid to make a change.
Man Of The Match & What's Next
I'm tempted to give it to one of the two players mentioned above, but instead, I'm going to give it to Jürgen Klopp. He must have given the club a fiery speech in the dressing room because they played much better in the 2nd half. His lineup changes with the inclusion of Jota and Tsimikas paid off big time
What's Next
Liverpool faces a tough task when they host Manchester United Sunday, March 5th at Anfield. Kickoff is set for 16:30 GMT
A list of streams will be available on our page, Liverpool FC streams.
Goals
Liverpool
- Virgil van Dijk 73'
- Mohamed Salah 77'
Wolves
None
Substitutions
Liverpool
- Cody Gakpo for Diogo Jota 76'
- Jordan Henderson for Stefan Bajcetic 79'
- James Milner for Trent Alexander-Arnold 89'
- Roberto Firmino for Darwin Núñez 89'
Wolves
- Rayan Alt-Nori for Hugo Bueno 24'
- Adama Traore for Pablo Sarabia HT'
- Joao Gomes for Matheus Nunes 64'
- Daniel Podence for Joao Moutinho 64'
- Diego Costa for Rual Jimenez 79'
