REDS ARE LAID LOW BY NEVES THUNDERBOLT
J URGEN KLOPP has his eyes on a bigger prize than the FA Cup but being knocked out in the third round will hurt all the same.
For the first time this season his Liverpool side have lost two consecutive matches and there were concerning performances from those players given a rare chance. Daniel Sturridge, for example, might be needed when the crunch comes in the Premier League but this was a night to cast doubt on his suitability.
Credit must go to Nuno Espirito Santo, who treated this tie and the competition seriously and was rewarded with another big-name scalp. He can now hang Liverpool on his office wall alongside Chelsea and Tottenham.
The goal that won the game was worthy indeed. Ruben Neves marked a return to form with a glorious strike from distance, and for once Simon Mignolet may be excused too much criticism.
It meant that Klopp’s underwhelming record in the FA Cup continues — he has won three, drawn three, and lost four of 10 ties — and for a fourth successive season a team beginning with W dealt the final blow. West Ham in 2016, Wolves at Anfield in 2017, and West Bromwich last year. Klopp has become used to W meaning something altogether more pleasant this term.
He was aware his selection would invite scrutiny. Dejan Lovren and James Milner were the only two players to retain their starting places from Thursday’s epic defeat at Manchester City. Virgil Van Dijk had his feet up and two teenagers were making their debuts.
Klopp’s strategy became all the more dramatic when set against the Wolves line-up. John Ruddy was in goal but aside from that Nuno picked what could be considered a full-strength team.
‘I had to make these changes,’ Klopp said before kick-off. ‘A few players were really ill and then in the last session we lost Adam Lallana with a minor thing. A few guys I want to see and we are able to do that, but of course we have to be sensitive with our situation.’
Within four minutes Lovren went down and instantly Klopp called for Ki-Jana Hoever, the 16-yearold Dutch defender who has impressed since signing from Ajax in August. Klopp gave Hoever a lasting hug and a stream of warm words as he sent him on to become the youngest player to appear for Liverpool in the FA Cup.
Lovren’s injury gives Klopp a headache with Joe Gomez and Joel Matip already sidelined. Conscious of that, the Liverpool manager tried Fabinho at centre-back.
It was an experiment that was progressing nicely, with Liverpool dominating possession and Wolves looking curiously passive despite the familiarity of their side. But in the 38th minute, Milner did something he had probably not done since he was a schoolboy at Leeds. He cost his team a goal.
Hurried by a backwards pass from Alberto Moreno in midfield, he tried to turn sharply but miscontrolled the ball and in a splitsecond Diogo Jota was on him. Jota stole possession and Fabinho acted hastily in diving to intercept, missing and enabling the Portuguese forward to pass to Raul Jimenez and race ahead. Jimenez carried the ball unchallenged some 30 yards because Jota smartly cut across Milner, who was furiously trying to atone by sprinting back, and Hoever showed his inexperience by failing to see where the danger was. He too was drawn to Jota rather than Jimenez.
Jota’s strength sent Milner to the floor in the box, giving Jimenez a clear one-on-one with Mignolet and the Mexico striker’s finish into the far corner was exemplary.
Klopp will have been frustrated by the defensive lapses but infuriated by his attackers’ lack of input. For all Liverpool’s general control in midfield, aided by some neat touches from 17-year-old Curtis Jones, Sturridge and Divock Origi had been anonymous. They exchanged only one pass in the entire half and were showing nothing like the pressing energy of Roberto Firmino or Sadio Mane.
But six minutes into the second period Origi stirred himself to
make a significant impact. Milner was being a nuisance on the edge of the Wolves box and the ball fell to Origi. He shifted it quickly and struck a shot that whistled through the legs of Leander Dendoncker, his Belgium team-mate, and beyond Ruddy’s dive.
It was a fine connection but parity lasted only four minutes, and was undone by an even better hit. Neves has established a reputation for spectacular scoring and this was another to add to the collection. There seemed to be little threat when he received possession 30 yards out but he sensed an opportunity and ripped a fearsome shot that flew past Milner, kept low, and swerved to beat Mignolet at his near post. It is now eight of nine Wolves goals scored from outside the box for Neves, and while he has not been at his best in recent weeks this one capped a very good display.
Xherdan Shaqiri knows how to hit the net from range too, and soon after saw a free-kick hit the inside of the post and spin across goal after Ruddy made the slenderest of fingertip saves.
As the clock struck 70 minutes Klopp sent on Firmino and Mo Salah. But they could not influence the occasion. WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (3-4-1-2): Ruddy 7; Bennett 7, Coady 7, Boly 7; Jonny 7 (Doherty 75min, 6), NEVES 8, Dendoncker 7, Vinagre 7; Moutinho 7; Jimenez 7.5 (Costa 83), Jota 7.5 (Cavaliero 52, 6). Subs not used: Norris, Gibbs-White, Saiss, Adama. Scorers: Jimenez 38, Neves 55. Booked: None. Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo 8. LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Mignolet 6; Camacho 6, Lovren 2 (Hoever 6min, 7), Fabinho 6, Moreno 6; Milner 6, Keita 6, Jones 6.5 (Salah 70, 6); Shaqiri 6.5, Origi 6.5, Sturridge 4 (Firmino 70, 6). Subs not used: Kelleher, Mane, Christie-Davies, Alexander-Arnold. Scorer: Origi 51. Booked: Milner. Manager: Jurgen Klopp 6.5. Referee: Paul Tierney 7. Attendance: 25,849.