DIOGO BITES WOLVES BACK
Reds stay in top-four race but hosts in worry for Rui
IT WAS never going to be anyone else.
Diogo Jota even kept his celebration to a minimum out of respect for his former club.
But football’s hand of fate dictated again that it is almost written in the stars that ex-players always seem to score on their return.
It was a beautiful goal, brilliantly worked between Mo Salah and Sadio Mane before Jota was set up to fire a low shot past Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio.
That might actually be a taste of the future because, amid all of Liverpool’s problems this season, Jota has been one of their shining lights.
He has been a success since arriving for £35million from Wolves last summer as it was his 10th goal of the season for Liverpool. But Jota has also given the Reds a new energy, a fresh approach and is now providing serious competition for their brilliant and lethal front three in the long term.
The understanding has gelled nicely between Jota, Salah and Mane which may also just gee-up Roberto Firmino in the longer term when he returns from a knee injury. And it does make you wonder had Jota not been injured between December and March then Liverpool’s campaign might have been different.
It has been a season of hard luck stories for the Reds and also one forWolves at Molineux with another decision to baffle and bemuse with the inconsistencies of refereeing.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson dropped a cross, took out Nelson Semedo in a blind panic to get to the ball and it looked a big shout for a penalty.
Referee Craig Pawson was not impressed, played on and the VAR Andrew Madley decided it was not obvious enough to overturn the decision. But,
bearing in mind it came just 24 hours after Arsenal were given a penalty for a similar incident involving Davinson Sanchez and Alexandre Lacazette, it will again raise big question marks and leave Wolves feeling hard done by.
Liverpool made the most of that let-off in first-half injury time when Mane and Salah combined well, Mane then threaded the ball through to Jota, who hit a low shot past Patricio.
TheWolves goalkeeper let the ball squirm through his body, it sneaked inside his post and gifted Liverpool a victory which at least keeps their lingering top-four hopes alive. However, the game ended amid desperately worrying scenes as Patricio was knocked out cold and had to be replaced by John Ruddy who came on as a concussion substitute.
Patricio was caught in an accidental collision with Wolves captain Conor Coady and it brought back haunting scenes with Raul Jimenez sat in the stands looking on just months after his horrific head injury suffered at Arsenal.
The game was delayed as the medics tended to Patricio and the Wolves medical staff had to comfort Coady who looked devastated.