5 talking points as Liverpool calamities leave Klopp seething in Wolves drubbing
Liverpool's woes continued with a feeble 3-0 defeat by Wolves in a clash that saw the Reds fail to really lay a glove on their hosts.
Jurgen Klopp's men made the trip to Molinuex just over a fortnight after they were last there for the FA Cup fourth round replay. They ran out 1-0 winners that night, but there was no such like this time around as the hosts ran riot.
Wolves certainly started the game the brighter of the two teams and within minutes were ahead. The positive start brought the first goal five minutes in, when Joel Matip inadvertently put the ball into his own net despite Alisson's best efforts.
Less than 10 minutes later Wolves were two goals to the good, Craig Dawson firing home from close range to spark wild celebrations from the home faithful.
It became a more even affair for the next 60 minutes, before Ruben Neves put the result beyond any doubt as he latched on to Adama Traore's pass before keeping calm to slot home. His strike ensured Liverpool have now conceded as many goals this season as local rivals Everton.
Klopp's dream Liverpool line up as last-gasp January transfers rejected
Mirror Football has analaysed five of the main talking points from a third succeessive away defeat for Liverpool - the first time they have endured such a run since 2012.
1. Dawson's dream debut
Craig Dawson celebrates with Rayan Ait-Nouri after netting a goal 12 minutes into his Wovles debutHAVE YOUR SAY! Where has it gone wrong for Liverpool this season? Comment below
Craig Dawson was handed his first outing in Wolves colours and has already made himself a hugely popular figure with his 12th minute debut goal.
The ball bounced off of Cody Gakpo and while it landed at the feet of Dawson in fortunate fashion, the former West Ham man deserves immense credit for the way he hammered the ball home.
Alisson could do nothing to prevent the hosts from doubling their lead inside the opening quarter of an hour, with Dawson opening his account at the first time of asking for Julen Lopetegui's men.
Joel Matip put the ball into his own net following this cross from Hwang early on2. A shaky Reds defence
Liverpool were once such a force defensively, but Klopp's men look a shadow of their former selves in that aspect of their game, as shown by the opening goal.
Matip failed to get anywhere near close enough to Hwang inside the penalty area and was made to pay, albeit in unfortunate circumstances.
It was a similar story for Dawson's strike, with Liverpool taking far too long to clear their lines before the ball fell kindly to the central-defender who lashed home like a veteran striker.
Liverpool transfer window winners & losers as £37m spent on Klopp's "great day"
Matip was nearly at fault for a potential Wolves third before the half-hour mark when he had his pocket picked by Mathus Nunes, but the Brazilian fired his effort straight at Alisson once through on goal.
Klopp was spotted seething at his defender for what surely has to be one of the worst performances of Matip's Reds' career.
Liverpool's back four look rudderless without their ususal leader Virgil van Dijk, who can't return soon enough in the eyes of the Reds faithful.
3. Liverpool's midfield woes
Naby Keita and Thiago Alcantara aren't operating at their best at the momentLiverpool's struggles in the middle of the park are well-documented and it is for the reason Klopp has been so desperate to strengthen in that area.
However, the January transfer window came and went without a midfielder coming in and the Reds paid the price against a Wolves side with two fantastic central midfield options in Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes.
The aforementioned duo enjoyed a much better afternoon than their Liverpool counterparts, working in perfect tandem with attacking team-mates.
Meanwhile, Naby Keita and Thiago Alcantara hardly covered themselves in glory and contributed poorly to the defensive effort, leaving the likes of Matip and Joe Gomez exposed on a number of occasions early on.
The fact Neves was able to waltz up the middle of the pitch and calmly add Wolves' third without any real intervention from any Liverpool midfielders or defenders sums their problems up.
4. Gakpo and Nunez fail to fire
Cody Gakpo's wait for a first Liverpool goal continuesLiverpool's only January addition came into the clash still awaiting his first goal in the famous Red shirt as pressure starts to build on the Dutchman.
Gakpo's performance on Saturday afternoon summed up his Liverpool career so far, flashes of promising moments but the ex-PSV ace failed to actually impact proceedings at any point.
It was a case of same old story for Nunez, expert movement followed by dire finishing and that is a growing concern in the 23-year-old's game.
Gakpo was withdrawn before the end, while Nunez was absent for large periods of the last knockings when Liverpool really needed a moment of magic.
5. What this means for both
It was a day of contrasting fortunes for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and his Wolves counterpart Julen LopeteguiThe result adds further miserty onto a season that has already been one to forget from Liverpool's perspective, with defeat now ensuring they languish as low as 10th in the table.
It is a damning indictment of how poorly the campaign has gone for Klopp's side that after 20 games played, beyond the half-way point, they sit just inside the top half of the table by a single point.
From Wolves' perspective, Lopetegui's impressive start to life in the Molineux hot-seat continues, with three of the club's five league wins this season coming under the Spaniard.
The Midlands-based outfit are starting to put a decent cushion between themselves and those sides in the relegation zone, with Wolves boasting a two-point advantage over 18th-placed Everton.
FREE £2 shop bet in William Hill shops with this Saturday's Daily Mirror.Don't miss your chance for a free flutter on the weekend's action, valid on all sport including horse racing!
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
