Liverpool vs Wolverhampton Wanderers - The Big Match Preview
By Steven Northover
On the face of it, Liverpool’s home game against Wolves should be a certain win against the league’s bottom club.
Indeed, Wolves have won just two points so far this season, scoring nine and conceding thirty-seven and are on course to inherit the Derby County of the 2008 season as the Premier League’s ‘worst ever team’.
Meanwhile, Liverpool appear to have found the form that has been missing so far this season, victory against Wolves would mean the Reds would be seven games without a loss in all competitions, and up into the Champions League places, should other results go their way.
For all their turmoil on and off the pitch at Molineux, in recent weeks the Midlands club has been desperately unlucky not to score more points this season - notably, two late own goals stopped them from winning a well earned 1-1 draw against the current league leaders.
Liverpool, infamously, have had their own struggles this season. On the one hand, notable victories against Arsenal and Real Madrid, are offset by losses to Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. To emphasise this, the Reds have won one game against the three teams who won promotion last season - a lucky 1-0 away victory to Burnley.
Whilst Wolves have been something a mainstay in the Premier League in recent seasons, their current position as the ‘basement club' perhaps highlights one of Liverpool’s biggest failings in recent years - the Reds don't always like being the ‘favourites'.
Credit: The Liverpool Offside
Squad News
Elsewhere, Arne Slot still has to find balance in a team still riddled with injury and suspension. Alexander Isak will be out for at least two months with a broken fibula, he is joined by Joe Gomez, Wataru Endo and Giovanni Leoni as being definitely out of the game with injury. Whilst, Cody Gakpo and Connor Bradley will receive a late fitness test before the match, meaning that Liverpool may only be able to call on Jeremie Frimpong, also returning from an injury that kept him out for the best part of three months, as Liverpool's only recognised Right Back.
The good news is that Florian Wirtz is almost certainly back to full fitness, so with Mohammed Salah at the African Cup of Nations, and Dominik Szoboszlai suspended, Liverpool’s attack will be calling on the German’s attacking threat to bolster an increasingly threadbare forward line.
Credit: @LFC (via X/Formerly Twitter)
Wolves have their own injury issues, with young winger Rodrigo Gomez definitely out, along with defender Toti Antonio Gomes, midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde amongst the nine first team players currently out injured - with most not due back until the end of January.
Predicted XI's
Liverpool: Alisson, Kerkez, Konate, Van Dijk, Frimpong, Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister, Wirtz, Chiesa, Ekitike
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Jose Sa, Krejčí, Santiago Bueno, Doherty, Møller Wolfe, João Gomes, André, López, Hoever, Hwang Hee-Chan, Strand Larsen
Pre-Match Verdict:
For all my caution, Wolves are still sitting at the bottom of the league, already sixteen points from safety. They are a squad riddled with injury, and have made the cardinal sin of selling their best players and not replacing them.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are starting to finally click, and whilst still a long off the performances of last season, recent results are bound to build confidence within the team. Last season, both matches ended in 2-1 victories for Liverpool, but that was a very different Wolves side. So as long as the Reds keep things simple and don't let their head drop, I'm expecting more.
Predicted Score: Liverpool 3-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers