MAGIC MO PUTS LIVERPOOL NO1 FOR CHRISTMAS
MATCH REPORT — PAGES 84-85
JURGEN KLOPP will not admit but he has got something wrong and he needs to address it.
Asked, on the eve of a trip to the Black Country, who was the biggest threat to Manchester City, Liverpool’s manager said it was Manchester City. No, it isn’t. The whole country can see it is Liverpool now, especially after they passed this latest assignment.
Liverpool, thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and the magnificent Virgil van Dijk, will be top of the table on Christmas Day regardless of what Pep Guardiola’s side do against Crystal Palace today.
The team who have held that position on December 25 on each of the last four years has gone on to be crowned champions and the more Liverpool play, the more you see a team that look equipped to fulfil their destiny.
They were made to fight by Wolves but simply had too much nous and class, weathering a storm on and off the pitch to maintain their unbeaten start. Liverpool have played with more style but the significance of this victory should not be understated.
Some finals have featured more conservative pre-match shows than the one Wolves put on beforehand, a raucous mix of lights, pyrotechnics and music to pop the ears. It was over the top but what’s wrong with that? The hosts have, after all, earned the right to stage nights such as these.
Wolves have the backing and ambition to be in this division for the foreseeable future but, most importantly, they have a progressive team and Liverpool viewed this as a more problematic assignment than the Manchester United match five days earlier.
That point was proven three times in the opening quarter-hour as Wolves, bellowed on by a crowd infused with Christmas spirit, set about trying to land a blow on Liverpool with quick movement and slick passing, using the sodden surface to zip the ball about.
It caused Liverpool stress. The first threat to their goal came in the fourth minute, after Joao Moutinho had cut out a pass and sent Adama Traore scuttling forward, but his shot slammed into the advertising boards.
Immediately, Wolves looked confident. Nuno Espirito Santo had no inclination to be passive and he was a picture of arm-waving ani- mation, demanding his players be brave and attack.
That is what they did. In the 10th minute, a long ball out from Ryan Bennett saw Raul Jimenez display glorious control on the halfway line to usher Adama on his way. Again, though, there was no end product as he fired wide.
The third big chance came in the 14th minute when a flowing move culminated in Matt Doherty slipping Romain Saiss into the area, but his shot lacked the direction and power to trouble Alisson Becker. Nuno clasped his head in frustration, yet his despair was about to deepen.
In past years, a side who kept chipping away at Liverpool would eventually crack them but there is a resolve about this team, who don’t get flustered. They are like the boxer who bobs and weaves before landing the sucker punch.
So it proved in the 18th minute. Salah took a free-kick on the left that looped off a gold shirt and landed at the feet of Dejan Lovren. He laid a ball off to Fabinho and the Brazilian exchanged passes with Sadio Mane before fizzing a cross into the area, where Salah had ghosted to apply the finish.
Bang. You could see Wolves’ players heave at the unexpected twist. Liverpool had Wolves where they wanted them.
For a brief period, Wolves lost their way, but the home side responded to finish the first half on the front foot. You could tell Klopp was anxious because as soon as the whistle blew, he ran to the tunnel, ripping off his drenched coat as he went.
Whatever he said in the interval paid dividends as Liverpool returned with more composure.
They set the tempo in the second period and a flurry of chances came their way. Comfort was only going to come if they doubled their advantage and one man who can always provide reassurance for Klopp is Virgil van Dijk, whose form continues to improve.
In the 59th minute, he showed why he is perhaps the best central defender in Europe. Wolves worked an opening for Adama to engage full throttle down the right and the assumption was that the Frenchman’s pace would carry him away from Van Dijk. Not so.
The Dutchman went stride for stride with Adama, the chance went and, not long after, so did Adama.
Van Dijk’s critics say he does not score enough goals but that argument was scotched in the 68th minute when he put the game beyond Wolves, volleying a Salah cross past Rui Patricio.
He was engulfed by his team as he raced towards supporters who are starting to believe. Klopp, privately, must think the same.