Liverpool did not make it easy but left Anfield with a convincing 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton in the 25th round of the Premier League. Having been frustrated by the pesky draw against Everton, the Reds returned to winning ways, further extending their lead at the top to seven points ahead of Arsenal. At the opposite end of the table, Wolves remain on the relegation brink, sticking at 19 points, a single point above the drop zone.
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Hard-won win and warning signals
The result was good, but Liverpool's performance did ring some warning bells. Arne Slot's side started off well, dictating possession and creating chances in the early going. Alexander-Arnold and Jota both tried to open the scoring but were unable to convert.
Doggedness finally paid dividends in the 10th minute when a nicely crafted counterattack resulted in Luis Díaz receiving the ball at his feet and he sent the ball home following Salah's pass that had a slight deflection off Toti Gomes.
The goal gave Liverpool some breathing room, and they kept pushing forward. Jota had another chance but was denied by José Sá, and Szoboszlai’s effort went just wide. When Salah doubled the lead in the 37th minute, calmly converting a penalty after Díaz was fouled in the box, it seemed like the game was under control.
Second-half pressure and a nervy finish
Wolves came back more potent after halftime. Munetsi ought to have opened the scoring early, but Alisson reacted well to block the effort. Later on, Liverpool felt that they had been given another penalty when Jota was brought down by Emmanuel Agbadou, but after a VAR review, the decision was overturned.
Wolves truly got back into it when Cunha shot from distance in the 72nd minute, beating Alisson and reducing the deficit by half.
That goal built a tense finish for Arne Slot's side, but a series of defensive tackles–such as Jarell Quansah sliding in to deny Tommy Doyle–ensured that all three points stayed with Liverpool.
Historic record at Anfield
With this success, Liverpool set an Anfield scoring record. Against Wolverhampton in the Premier League, the Reds made it 17 home games in succession across all competitions in which they had netted two or more goals.
It is since September, when they were being coached by Arne Slot, that this streak of theirs has continued through league games, the Champions League, the Emirates FA Cup, and the Carabao Cup.
This run has now surpassed the previous club record, achieved in the 1893-94 season.
Arne Slot: Relief and frustration
Arne Slot said: "Yes, it was certainly a relief at the end, especially after what happened on Wednesday. In the last eight minutes, and especially in the last minute when we conceded a goal, you get extremely frustrated because you know that moment can also influence the next game or the next games. And I think you saw today, after conceding the 2-1, that maybe for the first time this season, we were a little, 'Oh.' after conceding in the last minute against Everton. I think that was still in our minds, and that's also why we, as a team, were so furious on Wednesday."
"I don't think it was nerves. I think it was also because Wolves came at us in a particular manner. On Wednesday, we had great mentality in the worst conditions we've had all season, and we won 2-1. And then we played the last 15, 20 minutes like we always do, with everything that happened in the 15 to 20 minutes, and to come away with a draw was really, really, really hard to swallow."
Winning mindset and best standard: "When the boys arrived, I thought they were disappointed, thought that it wasn't our greatest game. And I think that tells you how well we've played this season — that we weren't even that thrilled with this victory. I explained to them that perhaps this victory is an even bigger achievement than Tottenham 4-0 here because in a season when you're trying to do something—whatever you want to do — you're going to have to play good soccer, that's the foundation of success. But if you don't have the mentality to win the tough games, you'll never do anything."
"That's why I was so annoyed with the players and so frustrated when I was in the dressing room after the Everton match. The lads played superbly, they struggled so much, and in my opinion, they deserved to leave with a 2-1 victory—, soccer-wise, but mentality-wise. But we did not win that one, and today we did."
As the season reaches its final stage, the physical strain on players increases, but Slot dismissed any concerns about fatigue, opting to refer instead to the mental aspect.
"I never make a decision on 20 minutes. On Wednesday night, I watched a team fight until the last second — pressing, working, being so, so, so fit. I take that into account. These players are not tired, not at all. They can play every three days at their highest level of intensity, but you have to take the mental aspect of the game into account as well. All that that transpired on Wednesday night — it's not physical effort but what it did to us mentally in those last eight minutes of stoppage time. I can tell you what it did to me mentally, never mind the players who had to run so much."