Liverpool’s inconsistent campaign took another significant hit as they failed to build on the momentum of Saturday’s 5-2 dismantling of West Ham.
Despite Mohamed Salah ending his Premier League goal drought to briefly restore parity, Arne Slot’s side were undone by a stoppage-time sucker punch that left their top-four hopes in a precarious position.
For much of the evening, the Reds looked a shadow of the side that swept the Hammers aside at Anfield. A turgid first half paved the way for a chaotic finale where Rodrigo Gomes opener was cancelled out by Salah, only for Andre’s deflected strike in the 94th minute to hand the Premier League’s basement side a dramatic victory.
It was the latest in a worrying trend of late goals conceded, and Slot will be left fuming at the nature of a defeat that owed as much to individual errors as it did to a collective lack of spark.
Arne Slot has had a lot of criticism come his way this campaign so far for his Reds side being somewhat of a dull watch at points, and the performance at Molineux this mid-week has done him no favours in this regard.
Wolves would dramatically take the lead late into the second half, as Rodrigo Gomes got the better of a relatively untested Alisson.
Thankfully, Mohamed Salah finally broke his goal drought, with seven minutes remaining in normal time, in what he would believe would be a vital equalising strike.
The script had other ideas, though, as Andre amazingly handed Wolves a second consecutive home win, as the midfield battler became Wolves’ cherished hero of the night.
The Dutchman could well be preparing to ring the changes, regardless, as Liverpool face off against the Old Gold again on their own patch on Friday night, as FA Cup football comes to the West Midlands.
Who could drop out of his starting XI for that late evening clash?
Here are ReadLiverpool’s player ratings from the unconvincing 1-1 draw:
Alisson – 4
Alisson’s clean sheet record, which saw him collect three on the bounce at the start of February, is now in tatters.
The Brazilian was let down by some weak defending in the build-up to Gomes’ opener, but Alisson could well have done better to try and stop the dinked effort from the Wolves midfielder.
He had another effort to fish out of his goal, too, as Andre broke Reds’ hearts everywhere with a last-gasp deflected winner for Rob Edwards’ never-say-die hosts.
Jeremie Frimpong – 5
Frimpong was thrown in from the start after having a part to play in Liverpool’s game-killing fifth goal against West Ham.
It wasn’t his night, though, at Molineux, with the ex-Bayer Leverkusen man coming off on the 72nd-minute mark, having battled well in spells.
Ibrahima Konate – 6
Konate would stand out as the strongest Reds defender from the dreadful 2-1 defeat, with six tackles and duels won to keep a spirited Wolves attack at bay.
Virgil Van Dijk – 5
Van Dijk would have trudged off at the end with a lot more pelters coming his way defensively, as he was far too frail in the buildup to Wolves’ opener, for a defender of his stature.
Milos Kerkez – 4
At least Van Dijk played all of the up-and-down contest, though, as Kerkez was taken off by Slot with 35 minutes remaining of the game.
The Hungarian was deservedly hauled off, as well, as he failed to burst forward with venom throughout.
Ryan Gravenberch – 4
Likewise, Gravenberch survived just one half of football, when he was replaced by Curtis Jones at the half-time interval.
Looking at his individual stats, it makes sense why he was taken off, with zero ground duels won in a first half that saw him play far too safely and passively with the ball at his feet.
Alexis Mac Allister – 6
Mac Allister didn’t quite reach the heights that saw him stylishly rifle home an effort against West Ham, but he was a lively operator, all the same, from the middle of the park against Wolves.
Indeed, he would amass two key passes come the full-time whistle, while also bravely winning seven duels and tackles for his team’s cause.
Mohamed Salah – 7
Salah’s class was clear for all to see again when he pounced on a loose Wolves pass late into the second half, before firing home a swift counterattack to hand the Reds an equaliser, that ultimately meant nothing.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 7
Szoboszlai was also at the heart of many a Liverpool attack during what was a topsy-turvy second 45 minutes, with four key passes notched up by the playmaker come the end of the dismal 2-1 loss.
If Florian Wirtz is to be sidelined for the foreseeable future, Slot will have no qualms about continuing to pick Szoboszlai in the number ten spot on the pitch.
Cody Gakpo – 5
Gakpo wasn’t quite as lively as either Salah or Szoboszlai, unfortunately, with the Dutchman taken off towards the latter stage of the game.
He did at least manage to fire four efforts at Sa’s goal, but he definitely tired as the action-packed contest progressed.
Hugo Ekitike – 3
The away masses would have felt very let down by Ekitike’s dire performance, as Wolves snatched a win at the death.
Ekitike was nowhere near his free-flowing 11-goal best, as the Frenchman could only muster up one meagre effort.
With possession lost 14 times, as well, from his unmemorable 43 touches of the ball, Slot won’t be best pleased with the efforts of his main marksman.
Substitutes:
Curtis Jones – 4
Jones really didn’t provide the travelling side with much spark when he came on in Gravenberch’s place.
He was also, arguably, at fault for Wolves’ fortuitous last-minute effort, as he played it back to Alisson, who kicked it straight to an Old Gold shirt.
Andrew Robertson – 4
It’s the same tale when assessing Robertson’s lacklustre second-half shift, as a 35-minute stint on the Molineux pitch saw the Scotsman only muster up an unconvincing 19 touches of the ball.
Rio Nguhoma – 7
While Jones and Robertson both failed to offer up much, Rio Nguhoma’s youthful exuberance ended up being a breath of fresh air.
His only shot of the game would rattle the woodwork, and the teenage starlet would finish his bright 25-minute spell with two mazey dribbles successfully completed.
He must start in the FA Cup, as Slot potentially fields a rotated side.
Joe Gomez – 4
Gomez, on the other hand, had a torrid night when he was on the pitch, as he failed to win a single duel or tackle.
Federico Chiesa – 4
Moreover, Chiesa put in an unconvincing shift when he was handed 11 minutes, as Slot went gung-ho with his selections.
The Italian would only amass six touches of the ball, but he did at least try to beat Sa with two attempts on goal.
