After a superb first half, Gary O’Neil’s Wolves side whimpered to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of a weakened Liverpool side, without the likes of Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Wolves looked a different side from the early stages of the second half, allowing the away side to carry on their run, as one of the six unbeaten sides currently remaining in the Premier League.
Jose Sa – 5
An outing with not much work to do for Jose Sa, however once again his work with the ball at his feet let him down. His launch into no-mans-land late in the second half allowed Liverpool to take the lead after some haphazard defending from Wolves.
Nelson Semedo – 6
An assertive performance in the first half from Semedo places him as one of the better performers for the home side today. He remained calm when bringing the ball out from the back, and was a constant threat going forward, particularly with his cross to set up Pedro Neto in the first half. Liverpool doubled up on Semedo early in the second half, which led Gary O’Neil to add Matt Doherty as support on the right-hand flank.
Craig Dawson – 4
A performance expected of Craig Dawson for the majority, dominant in duels and assertive against opposition forwards. The central defender was a threat in Liverpool’s box from set-pieces. Dawson however, was robbed of the ball far too easily in the build-up to Liverpool’s third which saw his overall match rating slip.
Max Kilman – 5
Similar to his partner, Kilman was assertive and dominant for the majority. An overall defensive lapse during Liverpool’s second goal sees the Wolves defence take somewhat of a battering in terms of their rating. Kilman made a fantastic block in the second half to deny Darwin Nunez. However, questions remain regarding whether Kilman is the right man to wear the armband for Wolves.
Rayan Ait-Nouri – 7
As with his fellow starting fullback, Ait-Nouri was one of the more promising players for the home side today. For large periods before his injury impacted substitution, Ait-Nouri fully locked down Mohammed Salah. His link-up with Pedro Neto in the first half was pivotal when it came to the home side’s success in the first half. He continues to justify his place in Gary O’Neils starting 11.
Joao Gomes – 6
After a strangely poor performance at Selhurst Park, Joao Gomes’s standards rose again against Liverpool. He was fantastic both with and without the ball in the first half, however, this was not allowed throughout the second as the away side continued to retain the ball.
Mario Lemina – 6
Similarly to Gomes, Lemina simply did not have an impact on the second half due to the shift in momentum. The midfielder performed his role admirably as always, however, and was a fantastic ball-winner. The only downfall for the Gabonese today was his hopeful ball straight to Liverpool’s backline which continued to set the tempo of the second half.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – 7
As far as debuts go, The Frenchman was remarkably impressive during his first start in Old Gold. Bellegarde was given the licence to roam forward and he was a constant threat. He showcased the tempo of the first half perfectly, his ability to drive and utilise his pace and power proved to be a thorn in the side of Liverpool throughout his time on the pitch. Should Bellegarde put up similar performances moving forward he will undoubtedly become a fan favourite.
Pedro Neto – 7
With his fourth assist of the season, Pedro Neto looked very much like his old self throughout. He beat three men as he set up Hwang Hee-Chan early in the first half and should have registered a second when his cross found Matheus Cunha who fluffed his lines in the box. A fantastic performance on the left-hand side from Neto.
Hwang Hee-Chan – 7
Before his substitution, Hwang provided another bright performance for Wolves. The forward scored his third of the season and continues to be one of the more reliable men under Gary O’Neil.
Matheus Cunha – 4
Missing the chance which could have changed the game completely for Wolves, Matheus Cunha was strangely quiet for large periods despite the assertive performance in the first half from Wolves. As with his miss against Manchester United, Cunha continued to lack the much-needed bite in front of goal which would elevate his game to a whole new level.
SUBSTITUTES:
Fabio Silva (Matheus Cunha, 61) – 4
Being on the receiving end of criticism following the defeat, Fabio Silva provided somewhat of a nothing cameo during his time on the field. Silva offered little to nothing in terms of an outball and looked like a shadow of the figure seen throughout the international period with Portugal’s U21s.
Matt Doherty (Hwang Hee-Chan, 61) – 5
Whilst the Irishman had a few neat touches going forward when combining with Nelson Semedo, Matt Doherty had a very minimal impact on the match for Wolves, and his substitute appearance fully indicated the intentions of Gary O’Neil to shut up shop as the game progressed.
Hugo Bueno (Rayan Ait-Nouri, 65) – 5
After a sensational performance from Rayan Ait-Nouri, Hugo Bueno looked at sixes and sevens in comparison. He failed to lock down Salah as Ait-Nouri did as Liverpool continued to assert their control throughout the latter stages.
Tommy Doyle (Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, 77) – N/A
Coming on for his debut in Old Gold in the latter stages, it was a far-from-ideal scenario for the young midfielder to stamp his authority. Doyle however did look neat and tidy on the ball when he did have possession, however, the Englishman will need more minutes under his belt before a full judgment is made by supporters.
Boubacar Traore (Mario Lemina, 78) – N/A
Playing in somewhat of an unorthodox position higher up the pitch, Boubacar Traore struggled throughout his limited time on the pitch. Wolves whimpered to defeat in the closing stages of the match, and Traore alongside two more defensive midfielders certainly did not help the home side in terms of ball retention.