Key events
On Sky, Jamie Carragher has just referred to Liverpool’s performance in the second leg of League Cup semi as one of their best this season, which I guess unwittingly echoes the preamble. Spurs’ performance that night was one of the most spineless, supine subsidences it’s every been my amusement to watch, and as such, it’s difficult to say too much about Liverpool’s effort; they were allowed to do what they wanted by opposition apparently terrified by the simple fact of their existence.
Wolves, meanwhile, make one change to the side that won at Villa in their last league game: Joao Gomes was suspended for that one but returned to score at Blackburn in the Cup, and he replaces Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.
Back to Slot’s XI, It’s pretty solid. I do wonder if Bradley would’ve been a better option to combat Cunha than Alexander-Arnold, but I guess at home in particular, Slot wants the opposition to worry about him. Otherwise, I don’t suppose Nunez will be gratified to see Jota preferred to him – real talk, both are great subs but less good from the start – but it’s pretty hard for anyone to complain about anything the Liverpool manager does, given where they are.
But let’s wait a second because here’s Arne Slot, who says next time he hopes he’s a bit calmer when things don’t work out well and takes his time before talking the ref. However he also hopes his team take the anger and aggression he felt then and they’re feeling now into today; Wolves are also fighting for something, he adds, and the league is such that every you need a reaction in every game.
It’s been a while since Jota has started and they’ve brought him along slowly, but he’s an important player – though he also has Nunez, so has options. And though Vitor Pereira has said Wolves will attack, Slot says his team are ready to face man-to-man pressing all over the pitch, or a low block.
Two changes for Liverpool: Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota come in, with Conor Bradley dropping to the bench; Cody Gakpo, in such great form, is injured.
Already under way:
I’ll write these down, then we’ll ponder what they might mean.
Let’s have some teams…
Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Jota, Diaz. Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Nunez, Chiesa, Elliott, Tsimikas, McConnell, Quansah, Bradley.
Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-4-2-1): Sa; Doherty, Agbadou, Toti; Semedo, J.Gomes, Andre, Ait-Nouri; Sarabia, Cunha; Guedes. Subs: Bentley, Bueno, Munetsi, Traore, Doyle, Forbs, Bellegarde, Djiga, Lima.
Referee: Simon Hoooper and not Michael Oliver (Swindon)
Preamble
Defeat at PSV, defeat at Plymouth, a draw at Everton; Liverpool might just be enduring a blip that felt inevitable. But given Arne Slot’s men are in the last 16 of the Champions League, in the final of the League Cup, and sat four points clear at the top of the league with a game in hand, does it even matter?
Er, yes – but not in the way we might think. It feels fair to say that this is not, perhaps yet, a vintage Liverpool side: they are vulnerable down the sides, could use a centre-back to play next to Virgil van Dijk, and the midfield is good but not great. They may also be over-reliant on Mohamed Salah … except that’s unavoidable when you have a great player and irrelevant when he’s impervious to injury.
So with no domestic rival likely to make the title race into a serious contest, and no European rival even remotely convincing, a wobble now is to be welcomed. Though James Tarkowski’s midweek equaliser will have stung for reasons that have nothing to do with trophy accumulation, Liverpool have time and scope to ride out a slip in form, before rediscovering something better in time for the Premier League run-in and Champions League knockouts. They are set.
However there’s always a however so, however: Wolves are dangerous visitors. Matheus Cunha is in the middle of a superb season, a ridiculosity of power, imagination and execution able to seize matches nominally contested by 21 others and make them solely about him. He’ll fancy the occasion, he’ll really fancy the right side of Liverpool’s defence, and if his side return home with a result, maybe, just maybe, a blip could intensify into something altogether more arresting.
Kick-off: 2pm GMT
