An ‘angry’ Arne Slot tore into his Liverpool side in the dressing room after a desperate defeat by Wolves on Tuesday night.
Slot’s side conceded an added-time winner for the fifth time this season as Andre struck on 94 minutes to dent Liverpool’s hopes of Champions League qualification.
Virgil van Dijk described the performance as “predictable” and said that his manager had a few choice words for the team afterwards.
“Yeah he was angry. Of course,” Van Dijk said. “He had every right because we played poorly.
“That was already the case in the first half. In the second half, maybe there was more urgency, but it still wasn’t good enough.
“He had every right to be angry. We have to pretty quickly turn this into full focus on Friday [against Wolves in the FA Cup]. That’s our responsibility, physically and mentally.”
Telegraph Sport examines the six fundamental errors that were made by Slot’s side at Molineux.
Lack of intensity
Liverpool barely created a chance in the first half, which was one of the more uneventful halves of the entire Premier League campaign. Slot’s team had plenty of possession before the break but they produced nothing of note in the final third.
Jeremie Frimpong’s wild strike over the crossbar, and Mohamed Salah’s inability to convert an early opportunity created by Van Dijk, summarised their flimsy attacking efforts.
In midfield, it was often Wolves players who emerged from duels with the ball. João Gomes, in particular, was dominant in central areas. By contrast Ryan Gravenberch, his opposite number, was substituted at half-time after committing four fouls and earning a booking.
Gakpo’s remarkable miss
After such a dismal first-half performance, Liverpool at least showed more purpose at the start of the second period. They had the simplest of goalscoring chances after 51 minutes, when the ball looped towards substitute Curtis Jones at the back post.
Just as Jones was about to chest the ball into the net, from barely one yard out, his team-mate Cody Gakpo stretched out his leg. Evidently unaware that Jones was inches from scoring, Gakpo not only took the ball away from his team-mate but also, somehow, diverted it directly up and onto the crossbar.
It was a truly extraordinary moment, completely unrepeatable and almost inexplicable.
Centre-backs crumbling
The first goal, scored for Wolves by Rodrigo Gomes, was an ugly one for Liverpool’s centre-backs, Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté. Van Dijk, especially, will not enjoy watching the replays showing how he was nudged away from the ball by Tolu Arokodare, the Wolves striker.
Arokodare is a powerful presence in attack but Van Dijk has been handling such players for years. A simple long ball should never have caused him so many problems.
Konaté, meanwhile, was sucked into the duel between Van Dijk and Arokodare, which allowed Gomes to run behind him and produce a stylish finish.
Creativity issues in attack
After the game, Van Dijk described Liverpool as “slow and predictable”, and their lack of imagination in the final third was painfully clear. Much of this was a consequence of a dreadful performance by Salah, who lost the ball on 29 occasions and struggled badly to make any sort of impact before his goal in the 83rd minute.
Even that goal, though, was not the consequence of a flowing Liverpool attack: it was only made possible because Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, the Wolves midfielder, surrendered possession.
Slot attempted to change the game by introducing teenage winger Rio Ngumoha, but the 17-year-old was consistently double-marked. Another player who could not find space was Hugo Ekitiké, who became increasingly desperate as the game continued. By the end, the Frenchman had resorted to trying to score all by himself. He attempted six dribbles, but was successful with only one.
Loss of shape and structure
With Liverpool chasing victory, Slot made a significant structural change to his team: replacing Konaté, a centre-back, with Federico Chiesa, a winger. Rather than making Liverpool more dangerous, it simply made them more vulnerable to Wolves counter-attacks.
In the final stages of the game, Wolves continually charged through the centre of the pitch towards Liverpool’s goal. The away side had no control and no patience, and could have conceded before André’s eventual winner in the 94th minute. After Salah made it 1-1 in the 83rd minute, Wolves had more shots (three) than Liverpool (two).
Error after error: André’s winner
Where to start with the Wolves winner? At least three players were at fault for Liverpool, and arguably more. It starts with a weak backpass from Jones to Alisson, who then produces a weak clearance.
Neither Chiesa nor Ngumoha made a challenge in midfield, allowing André to stroll happily down the centre of the pitch. When he then shoots, defender Joe Gomez turns his back and dangles a leg, rather than making any meaningful attempt to block the shot. Gomez, and Liverpool, got what they deserved as the deflected ball looped into their net.
Wolves in dreamland – but can they avoid dreaded drop?
Could the greatest of escapes really be possible? Wolves supporters may be starting to dream, after their team followed up Friday’s victory over Aston Villa with a fabulous 2-1 win over champions Liverpool.
Wolves, who did not win a Premier League game until their 20th attempt this season, now find themselves only three points behind 19th-placed Burnley. The gap to safety is bigger, currently standing at 11 points, but the fixture list will give Wolves fans a tiny glimmer of hope.
Of their eight remaining league games, only two are against teams currently in the top half of the table (Brentford and Fulham). Wolves still have to meet relegation candidates West Ham United, Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley.
“The lads are doing really well, we are competing and improving and that’s all we can ask at the moment,” said head coach Rob Edwards. “The way our games are going, we seem to improve and get stronger in the second half.”
Edwards is enjoying significant success with his substitutions. In three of their last four games, a Wolves player has scored after coming off the bench (Rodrigo Gomes against Liverpool and Aston Villa, and Tom Edozie against Arsenal).
Even if Wolves do not survive, and that remains the strong likelihood, they have at least avoided the tag of being the worst ever Premier League team. With 16 points secured, and with more to come based on recent performances, they should finish the campaign well clear of Derby County’s record low points total of 11.
Post-match thoughts of Virgil van Dijk
“I think it is down to ourselves. It was slow, we were predictable, sloppy in possession and wrong decision-making. We did not concede chances but if you perform like that then a result like this can be a result of that and that is a fact. It was disappointing.”
On starting the game slowly:
“It is not one reason why that is the case. The game nowadays we over-analyse why things are happening on the pitch. We as a team want to start a game as well as we can and in the last game we did, today we had majority possession but we were still making wrong decisions and we could not find the end product.”
On how they conceded the goals:
“Conceding goals is always frustrating. We have come on the back of a couple clean sheets, defensively we have been very solid but it is what it is and we have to move quickly on because we come back here in a couple of days and we want to do well in the FA Cup.”
Damning statistics for Liverpool
Rob Edwards speaking to TNT Sports
Post-match thoughts of Rodrigo Gomes
Tomorrow night’s games
Aston Villa vs Chelsea 7.30pm
Brighton vs Arsenal 7.30pm
Fulham vs West Ham 7.30pm
Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest 7.30pm
Newcastle vs Manchester United 8.15pm
Liverpool’s next five matches
March 6: Wolves vs Liverpool (FA Cup)
March 10: Galatasaray vs Liverpool (Champions League)
March 15: Liverpool vs Tottenham (Premier League)
March 18: Liverpool vs Galatasaray (Champions League)
March 21: Brighton vs Liverpool (Premier League)
Wolves’ next five games
March 6: Wolves vs Liverpool (FA Cup)
March 16: Brentford vs Wolves (Premier League)
April 11: West Ham vs Wolves (Premier League)
April 18: Leeds vs Wolves (Premier League)
April 25: Wolves vs Tottenham (Premier League)
Tonight’s results
Bournemouth 0 Brentford 0
Everton 2 Burnley 0
Leeds 0 Sunderland 1
Wolves 2 Liverpool 1
FT stats
Possession: Wolves 34%-66% Liverpool
Shots: 4-19
Shots on target: 3-7
Corners: 2-11
Touches in opposition box: 11-48
Liverpool had 48 touches in the Wolves opposition box yet found themselves on the losing side.
Full time
There is the final whistle and what a bonkers last 20 minutes that was. Wolves, destined for relegation, take all three points. Liverpool throw away the chance to move into the top four and somehow have managed to drop points in a game they had 65% possession and 19 shots. Wolves did not register a shot until they scored just before the 80-minute mark.
GOAL! Andre’s deflected strike puts Wolves back in front
Wolves looked to have snatched it at the death. Alisson plays a terrible ball forward that is intercepted by Tchatchoua. He heads it forward to Andre, who has far too much space to take it towards the Liverpool box. The Brazilian shoots and it takes a huge deflection off Gomez, wrong footing Alisson and goes into the net. Liverpool will wonder how on earth they are behind.
90+2 mins: Wolves 1 Liverpool 1
Liverpool should be ahead. Ngumoha plays a ball to the far post, where van Dijk has a free header but it is straight at Sa. Van Dijk may well have been offside anyway.
90+1 mins: Wolves 1 Liverpool 1
Salah whips in a cross into the Wolves penalty area and Arokodare puts it behind for a corner. Salah’s delivery is headed away by Arokodare.
90 mins: Wolves 1 Liverpool 1
There will be six added minutes.
89 mins: Wolves 1 Liverpool 1
That is as much as a professional foul as you will see from S Bueno. Ekitike spins past the Wolves defender and looks to drive through the Wolves half but is rugby tackled by S Bueno, who is booked.
84 mins: Wolves 1 Liverpool 1
How do Liverpool not take the lead? Salah breaks forward and Liverpool players pile forward. Salah carries it through the Wolves half and has a pass to his right to Szoboszlai. H Bueno makes a massive interception on the edge of his own box; had he not got a touch to that, Szoboszlai probably would have scored.
GOAL! Salah equalises for Liverpool
The Egyptian has been very poor tonight but he has brought Liverpool level with around seven minutes of normal time left. Bellegarde gives the ball away so poorly inside his own half and Salah drives towards the Wolves box. He enters the box and then beats Sa at his near post. That is Salah’s first Premier League goal since November.
79 mins: Wolves 1 Liverpool 0
That just about sums up the night that nothing is really going Liverpool’s way and is going Wolves’ way. Ngumoha cuts inside onto his right foot on the left side of the box and shoots through Tchatchoua’s legs. Sa gets his fingertips to it diving to his left and gets just enough on it to push it onto the post.
GOAL! R Gomes put Wolves in front
With their first shot of the night, the hosts score. Talk about smash and grab. The ball is played forward and Arokodare nudges van Dijk in the back. Play is allowed to go on and Arokodare lays it into the path of R Gomes who, from a narrow angle, finishes with aplomb past Alisson. Wolves have not remotely looked like scoring tonight but take the lead with their first shot of the whole game.
75 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Liverpool have had more than 65% possession, 13 shots but are still yet to get on the scoresheet. Wolves are still yet to register a shot of any kind tonight. It is all well and good having plenty of the ball and a number of shots but if you do not take any advantage of them then it does not mean a great deal.
72 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Salah’s ball forward looking for Ekitike is headed behind by Krejci for a Liverpool corner. The visitors have wasted a number of corners tonight so can they take advantage of this one? Before it is taken, Gomez is coming on for Liverpool in place of Frimpong.
Salah’s delivery is into a decent area but Sa punches away. The ball comes to Szoboszlai outside the box and the Hungarian strikes it first time but it goes wide.
69 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
J Gomes fouls Salah as the Egyptian drove forward into the Wolves half and is booked for that challenge.
Wolves make their fourth change of the game as R Gomes replaces Mane.
64 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Liverpool make a double change and both come down their left side as Robertson and Ngumoha replace Kerkez and Gakpo.
63 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
A few minutes of end-to-end football as play goes to one end and then the other in quick succession. The best moment in that sequence falls for Liverpool, with Ekitike’s cross from the left side of the box being cut out by Krejci, with Mac Allister waiting behind.
59 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Rob Edwards has decided it is time for a triple change near the hour mark. Arokodare, Bellegarde and Mosquera are all coming on. Doherty, Armstrong and A Gomes all head off.
55 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Liverpool have been better in these first 10 minutes of the second half, playing with more pace and zip, and are knocking on the door.
51 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
How have Liverpool not scored there? Salah sends in the corner from the right that is flicked on at the near post by Ekitike. The ball comes to the back post, where Jones looks like he is going to chest it in from a yard or two out but instead the ball comes off the boot of Gakpo and strikes the bar. Had Gakpo not touched it, the ball would surely have gone in, either off Jones or from the original flick.
50 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Liverpool are awarded a corner out on the right but the visitors want a penalty. Frimpong’s cross from the right strikes Krejci’s arm but the appeals are waved away. VAR does check the incident but clears it. That was a decent shout.
49 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Liverpool are having plenty of the ball and getting to the final third but then struggling to create much when they get there.
Second half
We are back under way at Molineux. Arne Slot has made a change at the break as Jones has replaced Gravenberch, who was on a yellow card.
Tonight’s games
Bournemouth 0 Brentford 0 (84’)
Everton 2 Burnley 0 (81’)
Leeds 0 Sunderland 1 (81’)
Wolves 0 Liverpool 0 HT
HT stats
Possession: Wolves 36%-64% Liverpool
Shots: 0-6
Shots on target: 0-2
Corners: 1-4
Touches in opposition box: 5-17
Half-time
The first half is brought to an end and it remains 0-0.
45 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
There will be two added minutes at the end of this first half.
43 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Gakpo cuts inside on the left side of the box and gets his shot away. It is deflected behind for another Liverpool corner. So far, Liverpool have failed to create any real opportunity from any of their corners tonight and you can add that one to the list as Salah’s dreadful delivery from the right is easily headed away at the near post. Unforgivable to not even beat the first man, which has now happened three times tonight.
42 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Liverpool have a corner out on the left but Szoboszlai will once more be so disappointed with that effort. Like he did earlier in the half, Szoboszlai does not beat the first man and that is a real waste.
39 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Andre trips Frimpong as the Dutchman drove forward and Arne Slot shakes his head, believing Andre should have been booked. Watching the replays, it is a surprise Andre was not shown a yellow card.
Szoboszlai sends the free-kick into the Wolves penalty area and, despite Mac Allister’s protestations, a goal-kick is given as the last touch was adjudged to have come off Mac Allister.
35 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Szoboszlai has scored a number of screamers already this season and he lines one up from a long way out, and I mean a long way out. He hits it reasonably well and it bounces awkwardly not that far in front of Sa but the Wolves keeper deals with it.
31 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Salah has been poor thus far tonight; his touch or the pass at the key moment has let him down. He has failed to take advantage of a few decent moments.
28 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Liverpool are enjoying plenty of possession but struggling to carve out many genuine goal-scoring opportunities. They are currently lacking that cutting edge in the final third.
22 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
The first booking of the game goes the way of the visitors as Gravenberch is shown a yellow card for a foul on J Gomes. Arne Slot cannot believe that decision in his dugout.
20 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
As we hit minute number 20, the Liverpool fans belt out Diogo Jota’s song. The Wolves fans reply by chanting “Diogo, Diogo!”, which is met by applause for all four sides of the ground.
18 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Unanimous applause rings around Molineux as everyone inside the crowd stands to remember Diogo Jota, who wore number 18 for Wolves and number 20 for Liverpool. A fantastic moment, with both sets of fans in unison to remember the Portuguese forward.
15 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
That is such a waste from Frimpong. Ekitike does brilliantly, picking up the ball inside his own half and driving Liverpool down the pitch. He takes the visitors all the way towards the Wolves box, where he lays it off for Frimpong, who takes it first time but the Dutchman’s effort is wild and flies into the stands.
13 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
J Gomes plays a sublime pass with the outside of his right boot to put Tchatchoua in space down the right but the latter’s delivery is woeful. He had the chance to try and find Armstrong at the back post first time but the cross went out of play.
11 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Mac Allister wins the ball for Liverpool just inside his own half and the visitors get numbers flying forwards. The ball ends up with Kerkez on the left side of the box and his cross is blocked behind for a corner.
Szoboszlai’s inswinging corner is headed away at the front post by Tchatchoua. The Hungarian will be a bit disappointed with his delivery there.
7 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Liverpool win the ball high up the pitch and Gakpo cuts inside onto his right to get his shot away from the edge of the box but the Dutchman’s effort is straight at Sa.
6 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
That was a chance for Liverpool. Van Dijk plays a sensational ball from inside his own half into the Wolves penalty area to pick out the run in behind of Salah, who had kept himself onside. Salah brings it down before going down under a challenge from Krejci. Looking at the replays, there was contact from Krejci on Salah but perhaps not enough for it to be deemed a penalty.
3 mins: Wolves 0 Liverpool 0
Liverpool work it well down the left to put Kerkez sprinting forward. Kerkez is brought down by Mane, who is fortunate not to be booked. Had that foul been committed 20 minutes later, Mane would almost certainly have been booked.
Kick-off
After Jeff Beck’s “Hi Ho Silver Lining” is belted out by the home faithful at Molineux, we are under way.
Nearly ready for action
Both sides emerge from the tunnel and we are just moments away from kick-off at Molineux. Here is a reminder of the two teams tonight:
Wolves: Sa, Tchatchoua, Doherty, S Bueno, Krejci, Wolfe, Andre, J Gomes, A Gomes, Mane, Armstrong.
Substitutes: Johnstone, Toti, Mosquera, Lima, H Bueno, R Gomes, Bellegarde, Hwang, Arokodare.
Liverpool: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Ekitike.
Substitutes: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Chiesa, Jones, Robertson, Nyoni, Ramsay, Morrison, Ngumoha.
Pre-match thoughts of Wolves boss Rob Edwards
First goal in the 7.30pm games
It has been quiet in the opening half an hour of all three games that kicked off at 7.30pm but the first Premier League goal of the night has gone in. It has come at the Hill Dickinson Stadium where Everton have taken the lead against Burnley, with James Tarkowski scoring against his former club. It is still 0-0 at the Vitality Stadium and Elland Road.
TNT crew on Mo Salah
Visitors gearing up
How the top six is shaping up
Liverpool would move into fourth, ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference, if they beat Wolves tonight. Aston Villa host Chelsea tomorrow night whilst Manchester United travel to Newcastle.
Mateus Mane talking to TNT Sports
Liverpool’s last five results
Liverpool 5 West Ham 2 (Premier League)
Nottingham Forest 0 Liverpool 1 (Premier League)
Liverpool 3 Brighton 0 (FA Cup)
Sunderland 0 Liverpool 1 (Premier League)
Liverpool 1 Manchester City 2 (Premier League)
Wolves’ last five results
Wolves 2 Aston Villa 0 (Premier League)
Crystal Palace 1 Wolves 0 (Premier League)
Wolves 2 Arsenal 2 (Premier League)
Grimsby 0 Wolves 1 (FA Cup)
Nottingham Forest 0 Wolves 0 (Premier League)
Arne Slot speaking to TNT Sports
Visitors in the house
Teams in full
Wolves: Sa, Tchatchoua, Doherty, S Bueno, Krejci, Wolfe, Andre, J Gomes, A Gomes, Mane, Armstrong.
Substitutes: Johnstone, Toti, Mosquera, Lima, H Bueno, R Gomes, Bellegarde, Hwang, Arokodare.
Liverpool: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Ekitike.
Substitutes: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Chiesa, Jones, Robertson, Nyoni, Ramsay, Morrison, Ngumoha.
The beautiful game is broken. This is our plan to fix it
This round of Premier League games
Tonight:
Bournemouth vs Brentford 7.30pm
Everton vs Burnley 7.30pm
Leeds vs Sunderland 7.30pm
Wolves vs Liverpool 8.15pm
Wednesday:
Aston Villa vs Chelsea 7.30pm
Brighton vs Arsenal 7.30pm
Fulham vs West Ham 7.30pm
Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest 7.30pm
Newcastle vs Manchester United 8.15pm
Thursday:
Tottenham vs Crystal Palace 8pm
Wolves team
Liverpool team
Fancy a flutter?
Advertisement | GambleAware | 18+
Betting on the football today? Take a look at these best betting sites chosen by Telegraph Media Group
Will Liverpool move into the top four?
Wolves and Liverpool meet at Molineux for the first of two meetings in two different competitions in a matter of days, tonight in the Premier League before Friday’s FA Cup encounter. Liverpool won the reverse fixture at Anfield just after Christmas, securing a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz. Liverpool have won 17 of their last 18 Premier League games against Wolves, whose last victory over Liverpool came back in 2023.
Wolves’ fate looks set but they did claim the spoils against Aston Villa in a west Midlands derby, winning 2-0 at home last Friday thanks to goals from Joao Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes. They are still destined for the Championship as they are 14 points away from safety with nine games to play. Speaking after that win over Villa, Wolves boss Rob Edwards could not hide his delight.
“It was a special moment in a really difficult season,” Edwards said. “It is nice to be able to show some emotion and build that connection that we are desperate to do. That is why I came in on nights like that. Really special moments. That is a moment that will live with me forever.”
Liverpool beat West Ham 5-2 at Anfield last weekend to move into fifth. Arne Slot’s side have the chance to move into the top four tonight if they win tonight. With a victory, they would go ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference, with Unai Emery’s side taking on Chelsea tomorrow night.
“So many things have gone against us this season,” Slot said. “In terms of performances, only the first half against Nottingham Forest was not of our standards. For all the other games, we have played to our standards, or what there is to expect in the Premier League because it is not like every game is as if you are watching Barcelona 10 or 15 years ago or watching the Premier League four or five years ago, it has changed how entertaining it is because of playing styles.
“We are well placed now, but two weeks ago, you could have asked the question ‘you are not so well placed’ so things can change really fast. We are really close together with a few teams and things can change every matchday because of who you face and who the other teams are facing. We focus on the next game, on ourselves and we know every game has been difficult for us for the whole season and that is what we expect in the upcoming ten [games] as well.”
Slot has confirmed that Wirtz remains out with a back injury whilst Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo are long-term absentees.
Team news to follow shortly.
Play The Telegraph’s brilliant range of Puzzles – and feel brighter every day. Train your brain and boost your mood with PlusWord, the Mini Crossword, the fearsome Killer Sudoku and even the classic Cryptic Crossword.
