Here are five things we learned as Liverpool Wolves on Sunday at Anfield in the Premier League.
Always a threat
Mohamed Salah hadn’t scored for three games heading into this one. He corrected that with a goal showing Salah at his threatening best.
Conor Coady made a pretty simple mistake, in truth, but Salah pounced to grab the opener.
That’s what we love from Salah. You can’t afford to make a mistake around him or he’ll punish you. But he’s more than that.
Salah grabbed his second assist of the season with a magnificent cross for Joel Matip. He delivered a ball that just needed any touch to score from – truly world class.
After a difficult few games, he proved decisive.
The risk you take
Fabinho isn’t a natural centre-half – but that can be a good thing. The Brazilian plays the role in a rash way, always looking to make a tackle and engage the attacker. We had it as a reason Jurgen Klopp could move Fabinho back into midfield.
We saw why that’s a risk in the first-half. Fabinho lunged in on Adama Traore but the Spaniard skipped past him to run in behind. Nothing came of it, fortunately.
But the positives are that Fabinho makes goal-saving interventions as he did in the second half. He appeared out of nowhere to clear the ball from Coady inside the six-yard box. No hesitation there and it paid off.
We’ll miss him when he’s gone
Gini Wijnaldum had a great game. He played both as a holding midfielder and in a box-to-box role, excelling at both.
Wijnaldum was solid in defence and scored a fantastic goal going forward.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to watch these performances right now without remembering he can talk to other clubs next month. If he does decide to leave, Liverpool will have a hard time replacing him.
What we’re looking for
Caoimhin Kelleher had pressure on him today. He played well against Ajax in midweek but could he show consistency and reliability?
Yes, he could. Kelleher made a great first-half save and always looked comfortable with the ball at his feet. Exactly what Klopp wanted to see.
Kelleher looks like a wonderful second-choice goalkeeper right now – certainly no need to look elsewhere.
Rest and relaxation
If we learned anything against Wolves, it’s that a fresh, rested Liverpool team is still the dominant force in this league.
Wolves are a good side, after all, but they couldn’t handle a fresh Reds side. Liverpool pressed well, broke well, and looked sharp in attack.
It’s the first time we’ve seen them like this in some time. But then, this is the first time Klopp has had the luxury of a rested team in some time.
The more players that regain fitness – and the lighter the schedule – the better Liverpool will look. The title challenge is firmly on.
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