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Former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol was less than impressed by the performance put in by center-back duo Joel Matip and Joe Gomez against Wolverhampton Wanderers. This comes after the Reds' 3-0 defeat at the hands of Julen Lopetegui's side in the Premier League on Saturday (February 4).
Nicol blamed Matip and Gomez for Liverpool's poor start to the game, which saw them go 2-0 down after just 12 minutes. Matip scored an unfortunate own goal to open the scoring for Wolves before new arrival Craig Dawson doubled the lead six minutes later. Nicol labeled the defensive pair as "horrendous."
Speaking to ESPN FC (via The Boot Room), the former player was quoted as saying the following:
"Liverpool started this game just backing off and almost asking to be ran at. Two-down after 15 minutes. Gomez and Matip today, as a centre-back partnership, were absolutely horrendous."
He added:
“Matip starts off with an own goal which basically comes about because he doesn’t make a decision and he ends up deflecting the ball in off the post.”
The Reds were second-best throughout the game against Wolves. The hosts were 2-0 up at half-time and added a third at the 71-minute mark through Ruben Neves to seal all three points.
Liverpool are tenth in the Premier League standings
Liverpool are currently in an appalling form in the Premier League. They are on a four-match winless run in the league. In those four games, Jurgen Klopp's side have lost three games and drawn one.
The Reds have suffered humiliating defeats at the hands of Brentford (3-1), Brighton & Hove Albion (3-0), and now against Wolves. The only point they have picked up since the turn of the year was from the 0-0 draw with Chelsea at Anfield on January 21.
This poor run of form sees Klopp's men in 10th place in the Premier League. They have amassed just 29 points from 20 games and are currently 11 points behind Newcastle United in fourth place.
This poor run of form has also affected their run in cup competitions. Liverpool have been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, two competitions where they are the defending champions, since club football returned after the FIFA World Cup break.
They were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the fourth round by Manchester City in December and then got dumped out of the FA Cup by Brighton last week.
