There was no indication from the performance, however, that Liverpool were back to their old swaggering best. Rather, it was a mistake in first-half addd time by Wolves’ keeper Rui Patricio, failing to keep out a modest strike from the left corner of the area from ex-Wolves striker Diogo Jota, not getting a strong enough hand to the shot, pushing the ball into the net and not around the post, that put Liverpool ahead and gave them the victory.
Up until the goal, the game was even. Ten-15 minutes of Liverpool pressure gave way to similar periods when Wolves were on top, though neither side troubled the opposition goalkeeper.
Sadio Mané looked the most threatening Liverpool attacker and should have done better when he was one-on-one with Patricio, taking the ball too far around the keeper and making a shooting angle impossible then wrongly choosing to carry on trying to score when a pass to Gini Wijnaldum on the edge of the area was a better option. Mané should also have done better with a diving header from a Trent Alexander Arnold cross, connecting well but steering it passed the post.
Alexander Arnold was Liverpool’s best player on a night of average performances. Ozan Kabak and Nat Philipps – Liverpool’s fifth and sixth-choice centre-backs – coped well with Wolves’ attack and those moments where the Reds were vulnerable came from some dubious goalkeeping from Alisson Becker, punching the ball where catching it seemed the simpler option, dropping a cross after two minutes and in the process of trying to retrieve the situation colliding with Nelson Semedo, giving referee Craig Pawson a penalty decision to make, which he did, very fortunately, in the Liverpool keeper’s favour.
Liverpool rarely looked like adding another goal in the second half. There was a disallowed goal on the 87th minute, after Mo Salah latched onto a through ball from Alex Oxlade Chamberlain – on as a sub for Jota – and the Egyptian chipped over the onrushing Patricio, but he was rightly flagged offside.
Unfortunately for Patricio, in coming out to meet Salah, he collided with a retreating Conor Coady, with the Wolves’ captain’s knee viciously crashing into his keeper’s head. A long delay ensued as the prone and immobile Patricio was carefully placed onto a stretcher and removed from the pitch.
Restarting the match after 15 minutes, a late chance fell to Fabio Silva to equalise when a looping deflection fell to him six yards out, but, inexplicably, he failed to get his head to the ball, which came off his shoulder and harmlessly fell into the hands of Becker.
With no FA Cup and the international break coming up, the Reds have no games for three weeks. When they return on 4 April, they play away against an improving Arsenal side, with eyes fixed on going a run, not just to challenge Chelsea for fourth spot but to get some form and momentum going for the Champions League, where Liverpool are in the quarter-finals.
