Football

Football   |   February 8, 2023

Elliott’s Goal Saw Liverpool Defeat Wolverhampton 1-0 and Advance in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup 

Jurgen Klopp’s side defeated Wolves 1-0 in an FA Cup replay at Molineux Stadium to move to the fourth round and face Brighton on the road. Harvey Elliott scored the game’s only goal, giving the Reds a lead in the 13th minute with a spectacular strike from outside the penalty area. 

Jurgen Klopp stated that he had waited for ages for the Reds to win a game with a solid performance. Early on, the Wolves’ attackers had trouble getting anything going, but late-game subs like Matheus Cunha helped turn things around.

Julen Lopetegui’s side was controversially disallowed a late go-ahead goal by a questionable offside ruling in their first meeting on January 7th at Anfield, which ended in a 2-2 stalemate. The previous week has seen Julen Lopetegui’s squad ousted from both domestic cup events.

Wolves vs. Liverpool: Team News

Julen Lopetegui added first-choice goalie Jose Sa and experienced midfielder Joao Moutinho to the Wolves lineup that tied at Anfield the first time around. Jurgen Klopp benched starters like Mohamed Salah, Alisson, and Andy Robertson, reserving starting spots for Thiago, Ibrahima Konate, and Cody Gakpo.

Three days after suffering a demoralizing Premier League loss at Brighton, Klopp’s squad earned their first victory of the year thanks to Harvey Elliott’s incredible first-half strike. The victory on Tuesday was the Red’s third since the return of domestic football following the Qatar World Cup in 2022.

Ruben Neves, Raul Jimenez, and Matheus Cunha all came close to scoring an equalizer for the Wolves late in the game, despite the Wolves’ significant progress under Julen Lopetegui. 

Klopp’s Side Delighted With a Positive Result in Molineux

The German manager Jurgen Klopp was pleased with his team’s response on Tuesday night after they were defeated 3-0 at the Amex on Saturday. Klopp called it the most disappointing performance of his managerial career.

The game was briefly halted in the first minute due to a power outage within the stadium. However, Liverpool’s visiting fans did not have to wait long for Elliott to enliven Molineux with a goal of the highest caliber.

The 19-year-old, one of eight substitutions from Saturday’s loss at Brighton, received a ball from Thiago Alcantara, advanced unopposed into the Wolves’ half, and unleashed a powerful 30-yard strike that went past goalkeeper Jose Sa diving back into the net. Liverpool’s goal settled them down, as they kept attacking with speed and energy and pressed the home team into giving the ball away.

Fabio Carvalho had another chance to score before halftime, 10 minutes into the second half. However. Naby Keita’s through ball was ruled out of play because the former Fulham attacker (Fabio Carvalho) was offside.

Curtis Jones, another second-half sub, had a golden chance to extend Liverpool’s lead but shot wide. He narrowly missed the far post with a shot in the final minute. However, the holders prevailed to record their first clean sheet in 8 games and advance to the 4th round.

Adama Traore, who sprinted onto a pass from Neves but missed the target from a tight angle, had the finest opportunity for the Wolves in the opening period. Lopetegui tried to boost his team at halftime by bringing in Matheus Nunes and Nelson Semedo. 

The home team, however, struggled until Cunha and Daniel Podence came into the game with 25 minutes left. Jimenez and Cunha both missed the goal from excellent chances. Also, Cunha fired a weak header into Kelleher’s arms from the center of the penalty area.

Wolves vs. Liverpool: Player Ratings

Wolves 4-2-3-1 Lineup: José Sá (4), Nathan Collins (6), Dexter Lembikisa (5), Toti Gomes (6), Joe Hodge (5), Jonny Otto (6), Rúben Neves (8), Adama Traore (7), Raul Jimenez (6), João Moutinho (6), and Rayan Ait-Nouri (6)

Substitutes: Matheus Nunes (7), Daniel Podence (6), Nélson Semedo (7), and Matheus Cunha (7).

Liverpool 4-3-3 Lineup: Caoimhin Kelleher (7), Joe Gomez (7), James Milner (7), Ibrahima Konate (7), Stefan Bajcetic (7), Konstantinos Tsimikas (7), Thiago Alcantara (8), Harvey Elliott (8), Naby Keita (6), Fabio Carvalho (7), and Cody Gakpo (6)

Substitutes: Mohamed Salah (6), Nat Phillips (6), Curtis Jones (6), Ben Doak (6), and Fabinho (6).

Player of the match: Harvey Elliott

What Follows?

Liverpool will face Brighton in the 4th round on Sunday, January 29th, at 1.30 p.m. at the American Express Community Stadium. 

However, before that match, Liverpool will host Chelsea at Anfield on January 22nd at 12:30 p.m.

On the same day, Saturday the 22nd, at 3 p.m., Wolves will play Manchester City at Etihad.

All these matches are available on Dafabet – the world’s leading online betting website.