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Liverpool eased past Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League to go level on points with Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the table.
The Reds started well, buoyed by the 2000 fans present at Anfield, but didn’t test Rui Patricio in the Wolves goal as the visitors played deep and denied the hosts any space. The opening goal came courtesy of an error by Conor Coady.
A long pass by Jordan Henderson bypassed the Wolves midfielders, but it seemed pretty innocuous as Coady had it under control. However, the defender’s chest control wasn’t perfect, and the ball just got away for Mohamed Salah to pounce and slot past Patricio.
Despite going behind, Wolves largely decided to allow Liverpool time on the ball, and their chances came on the counter-attack as the Reds went in search of the second goal.
The second half saw Liverpool flex their quality as they were unstoppable during the transitions and punished their opponents. Gini Wijnaldum doubled the lead, and Joel Matip scored from an inch-perfect delivery by Mohamed Salah to make it three. A Nelson Semedo own goal then condemned the Wolves to their worst defeat of the season.
Here are the main talking points from the game:
#1 Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum boss the midfield
This was a game that was decided on the transitions, and the pair of Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum played a massive role.
Liverpool’s opening goal helped them open up the game a bit more, and it all came from a raking Henderson long-pass from his own half.
The Reds' skipper also played a big role in the second goal as he once again found a Liverpool player, Wijnaldum this time, with his 50-yard pass. The Dutchman’s control and finish was equally impressive, and it put Liverpool in the ascendency as they took a 2-0 lead.
Wijnaldum’s goal was the cherry on top in what was an impressive performance from the Dutchman. With Fabinho playing as a centre-back, there is extra responsibility on Wijnaldum's shoulders at Liverpool.
The former Newcastle United midfielder provided good cover for the full-backs and never allowed Wolves to play through the middle even though they had the likes of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho. He also pressed the Wolves duo well when they had the ball and finished the game with a pass accuracy of 98%.
#2 Wolves missed Raul Jimenez against Liverpool
Most of Wolves’ threat came from the wide areas as the duo of Adama Traore and Pedro Neto started well. However, their threat faded away after Liverpool doubled their lead in the second half.
Daniel Podence has done well for Wolves this season but apart from a deft attempt in the first half, he was largely anonymous against Liverpool.
Usually, the wingers tend to drive at defences with a certain Raul Jimenez waiting in the box to pounce on the chances. They didn’t have that on Sunday night. Fabio Silva is the alternative but he didn’t start and came on too late to muster any impact.
In the absence of Europa League football, Wolves can push on in the Premier League this season. However, the absence of a good alternative to Jimenez, considering Silva is still very inexperienced, could set them back.
#3 Blatant simulation goes unpunished
Wolves were handed a penalty in the first half when Sadio Mane was adjudged to have fouled Conor Coady in the Liverpool box. The Liverpool players were incensed with the decision, and the replays showed why as Coady went down without any touch.
After looking at the replays on the screen by the sidelines, the decision was reversed, and VAR was put to good use by referee Craig Pawson. However, Coady’s blatant dive went unpunished.
There is a clear rule against punishing players who deceive the referee, but that was ignored as Pawson only reversed his decision. In the context of the game, it didn’t matter as Liverpool won comfortably. But, in the bigger context of players going down, the lack of punishment does not set the right precedent.
#4 Caoimhín Kelleher impresses again for Liverpool
A clean-sheet against Ajax was impressive, but the Premier League and Wolverhampton Wanderers are a lot more physical and intense. Kelleher, though, was undeterred and put in another flawless display.
The 22-year-old was called into action early on in the first half when Daniel Podence tried to chip the goalkeeper from the edge of the box. The custodian relied on his quick feet and made a smart save to keep the scores level. He was called in to make a few smart saves in the second half and helped Liverpool to only their third clean sheet in the league this season.
Apart from that, Kelleher was solid with his distribution and rarely panicked when Wolves tried to close him down. Equally impressive was his dominance in his own penalty area as he collected dangerous crosses and always attacked the ball.
#5 Players returning from injuries is a massive boost for Klopp
Klopp was able to recall Trent Alexander-Arnold and Naby Keita for the game, and that will be a big boost for Liverpool with the festive fixtures coming up in a few weeks.
The Reds are still missing some key players in Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and summer signing Thiago, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alisson Becker are not far from returning.
Neco Williams is another player who impressed against Wolves despite picking up a yellow card early on, and his progress in the last month or so will help the club with their depth in what will be a busy month or so.
