Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FIRMINATOR
Liverpool’s relentless machine still unstoppable as Roberto tames Wolves
FOR a spell, the championselect looked human after all, tired, vulnerable and there for the taking.
It turned out to be an illusion. They find a way to win, they always do.
And often, the way comes courtesy of one of their magical three.
Sadio Mane off injured? No problem. Up steps Roberto Firmino, taking advantage of panic caused by Mohamed Salah and a pass from Jordan Henderson, cutting inside to drill a dramatic winner.
It was a winner that will feel all the more special considering how Wolves had threatened so magnificently after a Raul Jimenez beauty had cancelled out Henderson’s early headed opener.
It will feel all the more special because it was ground out.
For all their fluidity, incisiveness and intuition, Liverpool have developed into set-piece specialists. Leaving nothing to chance – this is a guy who uses a throw-in coach, for goodness sake – Jurgen Klopp demanded an overhaul of their dead-ball approach a couple of years ago and it has paid the sort of dividend that put his side ahead here.
All eyes on Virgil van Dijk at a corner and Trent Alexander-arnold whips a shorter dipping inswinger onto the head of a charging Henderson.
It was not the cleanest of efforts, but it was training ground excellence.
Alexander-arnold could land a ball on a bin lid from 50 yards and Henderson’s determined run just about summed up his indomitable form and attitude this season and last.
There was defensive culpability involved but this type of Liverpool goal and Van Dijk’s to nudge them ahead against Manchester United on Sunday do not just happen by happy chance.
A set-piece seemed the most likely source of hope for Wolves, considering Liverpool’s superiority in open play, and Matt Doherty should have tested VAR’S offside gimmickry but sent a free header unforgivably wide.
Along with a half-opening hooked into the hoardings by Jimenez, that was as close Wolves came to a first-half equaliser.
Not that Liverpool seriously threatened to extend their advantage, especially after Mane rolled his hands towards the bench and limped off with only half an hour on the clock.
He would probably have rolled his eyes too had he seen Salah slalom clear and then ignore the perfectly-placed Takumi Minamino in favour of a shot that always had a chance of being blocked.
After picking Adama Traore’s pocket, Salah took the right option soon after the start of the second half but his strike fell into the niceheight category for Rui Patricio.