Preview: Liverpool vs. Wolves
Liverpool look to bounce back into form when Wolves comes to visit Anfield.
LIVERPOOL VS. WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
| Sunday, February 16th |
Premier League | Anfield
2PM GMT/9AM EST
Looking through the lens of this otherwise outstanding season, Liverpool have been dealing with a tough couple of weeks. A loss in the FA Cup and dropping two points to a late draw against rivals Everton have put the Reds on the back foot. They are still currently four points ahead of Arsenal on the table, with the possibility of expanding that back to seven should they win on Sunday. But there has been a noticeable dip in morale amongst the fans.
Adding to this were the red cards received by both Scouser Curtis Jones and new coach Arne Slot in the dying moments of the match. Jones got his for an altercation with Abdoulaye Doucoure. Slot picked his up by doing the Lord’s work and telling off referee Michael Oliver.
Slot will remain on the touchline for Sunday’s match as his red card is under review by the FA. He could face a two match ban somewhere down the line, likely against Aston Villa and Manchester City.
Wolves have won their last two matches: one a home game against Villa in the league, and the other in the FA Cup. However, their tenuous grasp on 17th place and avoiding relegation will make them desperate with only 14 games remaining to by played. They are on 19 points currently, with Ipswich Town and Leicester City both below them with 17.
Wolves will finish off February with games against Bournemouth and Fulham, where they are probably more hopeful to pick up points.
When the Reds traveled to Wolverhampton back in September, they needed a successful penalty from Mohamed Salah to ensure a victory.
Predicted Liverpool Lineup (4-2-3-1)
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota
As stated, Jones will be unavailable on Sunday due to suspension. Joining him on the sidelines are Tyler Morton and poor, consistently absent Joe Gomez. Cody Gakpo is also a doubt after he picked up a knock in more collateral damage from the derby.
Diogo Jota should be eager to play well against his former team while leading the line, unless that position is given to Darwin Núñez.
As for Wolves, they are without Hwang Hee-chan, Sasa Kalajdzic, Enso Gonzalez, Yerson Mosquera and Leon Chiwome. Boubacar Traore and Jorgen Strand Larsen are both doubtful.
What the Managers Had to Say
Arne Slot: “[...] I said back then that Gary O’Neil has been very unlucky because I think he deserved much more points than he got for several reasons. But the new manager that came in has done a very good job, got some positive results in. So, it’s going to be a challenge again on Sunday but that is normal [in the] last part of the season in the best league of the world.”
Vitor Pereira: “I’m not thinking about going there to defend for 90 minutes to take a point from the game. I’m thinking of preparing the team to go there and play our way or to try to play our way with our tools, skills, and qualities. And to get the best possible result.”
The Officials
Referee: Simon Hooper. Assistants: Adrian Holmes, Simon Long. Fourth official: Sam Barrott. VAR: John Brooks. Assistant VAR: Adam Nunn.
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Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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