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Nick Potts
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Wolves v Liverpool, Premier League

There was Friday night football at Molineux Stadium.

IT’S A GOOD time to be a Liverpool fan. Sitting pretty at the top of the table, many of you will have clocked off work for the Christmas break with the added bonus of being able to watch your team kick off a busy period of football tonight. 

They will be hoping their own big jolly man in red, Jurgen Klopp, can produce the goods at Molineux as the Merseysiders have travelled to the Black Country to face seventh-placed Wolves. 

Kick off is 8pm and I’ll have teams for you imminently. 

The home side bring in Romain Saiss for the injured Diogo Jota, while Adama Traore replaces exciting teenager Morgan Gibbs-White. Ireland’s Matt Doherty starts in his usual right wing-back position. 

Klopp also makes two changes as James Milner and Jordan Henderson are re-installed in place of Nathianel Clyne and Georginio Wijnaldum. The versatile Milner looks set to start at full-back. 

Wolves: Rui Patricio, Bennett, Coady, Boly, Doherty, Saiss, Neves, Jonny, Joao Moutinho, Jimenez, Traore.

 

Liverpool: Alisson, Milner, Lovren, van Dijk, Robertson, Mane, Fabinho, Henderson, Keita, Firmino, Salah.

Tonight will mark a milestone for Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. The midfielder signed from Sunderland in the summer of 2011 for £20 million.

He has his fair share of critics, and many wouldn’t pick him in a first-choice Reds midfield, but you can’t deny the 28-year-old has done well to reach 300 games. 

The Sky Sports panel of Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville, Kenny Dalglish and his daughter Kelly Cates share a joke before kick-off. 

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool - Premier League - Molineux Nick Potts Nick Potts

The teams have emerged from the tunnel and we’ve just been watching the pre-match handshake. This one is about to get going. 

Kick-off - Mo Salah touches the ball back to Lovren, who lumps it forward. Wolves in their home colours of gold and black, while Liverpool wear all red. 

Liverpool attack in numbers and Firmino shows good feet on the edge of the box, but he’s snuffed out. At this early stage, the visitors are playing a lot of football in the opposing half. 

Chance for Wolves! Joao Moutinho reads Fabinho’s pass and intercepts. The Portuguese midfielder feeds speed merchant Adama Traore, who runs at goal before shooting a few yards wide of Alisson’s post. 

That’s a let-off. 

A good passage of play by Wolves, before Boly overcooks a long ball and it runs out behind the end-line. 

Naby Keita is in some discomfort after a challenge from Conor Coady, but he’ll be alright to continue. 

Again, Traore has caused a bit of trouble for the Reds defence. A superb take from Raul Jimenez allows him to feed his team-mate, and the ex-Barcelona youth player drives forward but drags his strike across the goal. 

Brilliant from Wolves. Coady switches the ball to Doherty, who steps inside and plays Saiss through. He shoots low and Alisson has to get down well to save.

GOAL! Wolves 0-1 Liverpool (Mohamed Salah)

The visitors strike first, and it’s you know who. Fabinho exchanges passes with Keita out wide and then fires the ball cross the goal. Arriving late, Salah produces a deft flick to find the back of the net. 

Beautiful finish.

Another attempt on goal for Wolves. Traore plays in Otto, who gets the attempt away. Alisson smothers the ball. 

Down one end, Alisson very nearly get caught out attempting a Cruyff turn. Moments later, Salah directs a cross goalward and Rui Patricio keeps it out. 

Ireland’s Matt Doherty has just come close to equalising. The Dubliner wins the ball high up the pitch and has a pop from 20 yards. He’s had a good game so far. 

Wolves fans have also been calling for a penalty after Milner clashed with Doherty inside the box. 

Half-time: Wolves 0-1 Liverpool 

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool - Premier League - Molineux Raul Jimenez and Liverpool's Dejan Lovren. Nigel French Nigel French

Second half – And we’re back from the break. No changes on either side to report.  

Milner’s corner finds Salah on the edge of the box. He takes a touch and swings his left leg at the ball, but it’s always rising and sails over. 

Crisp and patient build-up play by Liverpool. A strike from Keita is deflected en route to goal and Rui Patricio has to punch away, and he’s lucky that it doesn’t fall into the path of Salah. 

Minutes later, Milner tries to bend one in but it’s well off-target. 

The injured Trent Alexander-Arnold is in the away end with travelling Reds fans tonight. 

Trent Alexander Arnold

Substitution – Keita has picked up a couple of knocks this evening, and the latest one has forced the Guinean midfielder off. 

On in his place is Adam Lallana. 

Wolves changes – 18-year-old Morgan Gibbs-White replaces Moutinho, while Ivan Cavaleiro is on for Traore. 

Liverpool break through Salah, who plays in Mane. He, in turn, feeds Lallana but his shot is blocked by Rui Patricio. 

GOAL! Wolves 0-2 (Virgil van Dijk)

The Reds have doubled their advantage. The ball is cleared as far as Salah, and he crosses for Van Dijk to coolly side-foot a volley into the corner. 

Here’s that second. It’s a long way back for Wolves now. 

Another sub – Ruben Vinagre replaces Jonny Otto.

Rui Patricio has to stand up and prevent Salah from making it 3-0 after a perfectly-timed through ball from Mane. Six minutes plus additional time to go. 

Liverpool change – Nathaniel Clyne comes one for Mane, and Milner will switch to midfield. 

Andy Robertson, you have been blessed there! A cross comes over from the left, and Scotland full-back gets the ball caught in his feet. 

Substitute Morgan Gibbs-White is gifted a golden goalscoring chance but he can only find the side-netting. 

Five minutes of additional time to be played. 

Salah isn’t happy with his tally for the night, and goes on a mazy run down the right — leaving Boly for dead. Once again, however, Wolves’ Portuguese goalkeeper denies the Premier League’s current top scorer. 

Wijnaldum has just missed a sitter. That should have been 3-0. 

Full-time: Wolves 0-2 Liverpool 

 

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