Liverpool battled to a 2-1 win against Wolves on Saturday, almost throwing away a 2-0 lead and lifting Arne Slott’s side into fourth place in the Premier League standings. The Reds appeared to be out of sight at half-time with a two-goal lead, but came under heavy pressure from the visitors in the final stages of the game.
Liverpool had the early advantage but waited until the 41st minute before Ryan Gravenbirch, teed up by Jeremy Frimpong, fired a low shot past Jose Sa to take the lead. A minute later, Florian Wirtz scored his first goal for the Reds, doubling the hosts’ lead, and things seemed to be going well for Slot’s side. However, Wolves reduced the lead six minutes after the interval when Santiago Bueno scored the ball from close range. Liverpool rode their luck as the game progressed, but in the end they took all three points. Express Sport has also rated and shortlisted Liverpool players.
Liverpool player rating against Wolves (4-2-3-1)
Alison: 7
He had more work to do than he expected and after making a save just in front of Wolves’ goal, he was unable to keep the ball away from danger.
Jeremy Frimpong: 7
He intended to be involved in the team’s attacking play and fired a great ball into the area at 0-0. Wolves did not heed the warning and Gravenbirch, teeing up at right-back, scored in the opener shortly after.
Ibrahima Konate: 5
They have been erratic in some matches this season, but it was flattering that they fooled their opponents just once during a visit to Rob Edwards’ side. They lost the ball at one point in the first half and were too weak in the aerial duel leading up to Bueno’s attack.
Virgil van Dijk: 5
Another player was also guilty of giving up possession early on and was almost exposed by Tolu Alokodare in the closing stages when a Wolves man, free in the box, headed the ball wide. He doesn’t have the impact on the backline that he once had.
Milos Kerkes: 5
He endured a difficult start to his Reds career and continues to impress in a Liverpool shirt. Their shot went wide towards the end of the first half, but they need to be more calm when handling the ball. He was also bad defensively.
Ryan Gravenbirch: 6
He has been prolific in front of goal by his standards this season, slotting the ball into the bottom corner for his fourth Premier League goal of the season. We should have scored the second goal after that and ended the game. They could not get a grip on the game in the second half as Wolves almost claimed a surprise draw.
Curtis Jones: 6
I saw a lot of the ball trying to break through the midfield. He overplayed when he could have kept things simpler. But he didn’t do too bad as he had a solid performance.
Federico Chiesa: 6
He was a threat and his movement was helpful, but he lacked composure at times. He managed to play for an hour before being replaced by Connor Bradley.
Alexis Mac Allister: 5
After thundering home, Jose Sa made a fine save to deny him the shot, but Federico Chiesa should have ruled it out for offside. He has struggled to make an impact this season, lacking speed on and off the ball.
Florian Wirtz: 8
He was outstanding for most of the game as his teammates tried to get him on the ball. He produced one of the best performances of his Reds career, scoring his first goal for the club after converting a pass from Ekitike to Sa. He hit the side netting after the break and looked like the player most likely to make something happen.
Hugo Ekitike: 7
I enjoyed my purple spotted form and was overall dangerous. In the first half, he hit the post and showed a smooth touch on the ball. He humiliated Andre in the build-up to the Reds’ second goal, before going for Wirtz’s chance. A collision with Jelson Mosquera sent him to the ground, but he didn’t do himself any favors. Apparently he was uncomfortable when he was dropped off late.
replacement
Connor Bradley: 7
Immediately after the end of the season, he was appointed as right-back, replacing Federico Chiesa. As the visitors returned to the game, they had to deal with a lot of pressure from the Wolves’ attack.
Kodi Gakpo: 6
Once Ekitike left the field, he was introduced into the late action.
Trey Nyoni: N/A
He wasted time by coming on in stoppage time as Liverpool continued to hang on.
