Reds are laid low by Neves thunderbolt
JURGEN KLOPP’S big gamble backfired last night as a Liverpool side including three teenage debutants were knocked out of the FA Cup by rampant Wolves.
Raul Jimenez struck in the first half as the hosts exposed a side showing nine changes from last week’s defeat by Manchester City.
Divock Origi equalised for Liverpool but a thunderbolt from Ruben Neves quickly restored Wolves’ lead. Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino were thrown on by Klopp but to no avail.
The German obviously has his eyes on a bigger prize but being eliminated in the third round will hurt all the same.
For the first time this season, his team have lost two consecutive matches and some of those players given a rare chance didn’t do themselves justice. Daniel Sturridge 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 seriously and was rewarded with another big scalp to go alongside Chelsea and Tottenham.
The goal that won the game was worthy indeed, Neves marking a return to form with a glorious strike from distance.
‘I’m very pleased,’ said Nuno, whose team now face a trip to Shrewsbury or Stoke. ‘The team performed very well in a tough game. We took our chances.
‘Neves has talent, he has done it before and we encourage him to shoot from range. It was a good strike and the fans were special.’
So Klopp’s underwhelming record in the FA Cup continues — he has won three, drawn three, and lost four of ten 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 Brom last year.
He was aware his selection would invite scrutiny. Dejan Lovren and James Milner were the only two players to retain their places from Thursday’s epic loss at the Etihad.
Virgil van Dijk had his feet up at home, Andy Robertson was also given a rare rest 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 Nuno otherwise picked a full-strength team.
Within four minutes of the start. Lovren went down and Klopp had to call for Ki-Jana Hoever, the 16-year-old Dutch defender who has impressed since signing from Ajax in August. Klopp gave Hoever a hug as he sent him on to become the youngest player to appear for Liverpool in the FA Cup.
Confirming Lovern had suffered a hamstring injury, Klopp added: ‘I am not sure what you all would have said if, immediately from the beginning, our centre-half situation was Fabinho and Ki-Jana, then probably a few very smart people would tell me I don’t respect the competition or whatever.
‘So we tried to do the things we could. Of course, it doesn’t make sense to start a 16-year-old boy from the start. You don’t bring him, you wait until he is completely ready, but he did well.’
Lovren’s injury gives Klopp a headache, with Joe Gomez and Joel Matip already sidelined.
However, Klopp’s experiment was progressing nicely, with Liverpool dominating and Wolves looking curiously passive. 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 Diogo Jota stole possession.
Fabinho dived in to intercept but missed, enabling the Portuguese forward to pass to Jimenez. He carried the ball unchallenged some 30 yards because Jota smartly cut across Milner, who was furiously trying to atone by sprinting back, while Hoever showed his inexperience by failing to see where the danger was.
Jota’s strength sent Milner to the floor, giving Jimenez a clear one-on-one with Simon Mignolet and the Mexican’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 the visitors’ control in midfield, aided by some neat touches from 17-year-old Curtis Jones, Sturridge and Origi were anonymous. They exchanged only one pass in the entire half and showing none of Firmino or Sadio Mane’s energy and pressing.
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 the Belgian. He shifted it quickly and struck a shot that whistled through the legs of Leander Dendoncker and beyond Ruddy’s dive.
It was a fine connection but parity lasted only four minutes. Neves has a reputation for spectacular goals and this was another to add to the collection.
There seemed little threat when he received possession 30 yards out but he ripped a fearsome shot that flew past Milner and swerved to beat Mignolet at his near post. Eight of his nine Wolves goals have come from outside the box.
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 most slender of fingertip saves. WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (3-4-1-2): Ruddy 7; Bennett 7, Coady 7, Boly 7; Jonny 7 (Doherty 75), Neves 8, Dendoncker 7, Vinagre 7; Moutinho 7; Jimenez 7 (Costa 83), Jota 7 (Cavaliero 52). Subs not used: Norris, Gibbs-White, Saiss, Adama. Booked: None. LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Mignolet 6; Camacho 6, Lovren 2 (Hoever 6), Fabinho 6, Moreno 6; Milner 6, Keita 6, Jones 6 (Salah 70); Shaqiri 6, Origi 6, Sturridge 4 (Firmino 70). Subs not used: Kelleher, Mane, Christie-Davies, Alexander-Arnold. Booked: Milner. Referee: Paul Tierney. Attendance: 25,849.