Liverpool 2-0 Wolves: Player ratings as Reds close gap to top four
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Liverpool narrowed the gap to the Premier League’s top four to six points with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Wolves at Anfield.
Second half goals from Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah were enough to earn Jurgen Klopp’s side a deserved victory, against a side that offered very little in attack.
The win continues Liverpool’s recent Premier League resurgence, and helps push to one side the desperately disappointing 5-2 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
Wolves actually had their best moments of the game in the first five minutes, when Alisson made a superb double save to deny Joao Moutinho and January signing Pablo Sarabia.
Harvey Elliott was then guilty of missing a golden opportunity for Liverpool five minutes before the half-time interval, steering a header wide from close range after good play from Diogo Jota – back in the starting lineup after long-term injury – and Darwin Nunez.
The talented young midfielder almost made amends minutes later, but a terrific stop from Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa ensured the two sides went into the break level pegging.
After yet another Elliott chance, Nunez thought he’d handed Liverpool the lead on the hour mark, only to see VAR rule out his effort after Jota was deemed to have committed a foul in the build-up to the goal.
But Liverpool did take the lead with just over 15 minutes to go, as Van Dijk nodded Jota’s centre home from close range to release the tension. Cody Gakpo and Kostas Tsmikas then exchanged passes on the left flank, allowing the latter to cut the ball back from the byline to the waiting Salah, who did the rest with consummate ease.
Wolves remain 15th in the Premier League table, just three points above the relegation zone, while Liverpool are now up into the top six after a good run of recent results.
Liverpool player ratings
Starting XI: Alisson (7), Alexander-Arnold (7), Konate (7), Van Dijk (8), Tsimikas (7); Elliott (7), Fabinho (7), Bajcetic (6); Salah (7); Nunez (7); Jota (8)
Subs: Gakpo (6); Henderson (6)
Wolves player ratings
Starting XI: Sa (7), Semedo (6), Dawson (6), Kilman (6), Bueno (6); Neves (7), Lemina (6), Sarabia (5), Moutinho (6), Nunes (7); Jimenez (5)
Subs: Ait-Nouti (7), Traore (6), Podence (6), Joao Gomes (6), Diego Costa (N/A)
Player of the Match: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
*90min*
