Good afternoon, folks.
Welcome along to our liveblog of the Premier League meeting of leaders Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield, where kick-off is scheduled for 4.30pm.
We’ll keep you posted on all the major moments throughout the game right here, so stick with us.
Before we go any further, let’s bring you the team news…
Here’s how Liverpool will start:
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Mane, Salah, Firmino.
Subs: Adrian, Milner, Keita, Origi, Jones, Elliott, Williams.
Ireland international Matt Doherty, who scored a late winner against champions Manchester City on Friday, is on the bench for the visitors, who line up as follows:
Patricio, Dendoncker, Coady, Kilman, Bennett, Moutinho, Neves, Otto, Neto, Jota, Vinagre.
Subs: Ruddy, Otasowie, Saiss, Doherty, Adama, Cutrone, Jimenez.
Liverpool, who were impressive 4-0 winners away to second-placed Leicester City on St Stephen’s Day, currently have a 10-point lead — and two games in hand — over the Foxes. Wolves come into this game in seventh place
The teams are out on the pitch at Anfield, we’re about to get underway.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
1 – The game has kicked off, with Wolves playing into the Kop.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
2 – Alexander-Arnold attacks from the right but his strike from the edge of the box is blocked. Bright start from Liverpool.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
3 – CLOSE! Alexander-Arnold squares the ball for Salah, who clips it just over the crossbar from close range.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
6 – Wolves look to catch Liverpool on the break but Vinagre strays offside.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
7 – Neto in a chase with Gomez, who’s forced to concede a corner.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
7 – A Wolves player is penalised for a push and the danger for Liverpool is cleared.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
8 – Salah appears to be through after Robertson blocked a defensive clearance but the ball was deemed to have struck the Scot’s hand.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
9 – A Liverpool attack thwarted by another handball, this time from Lallana. Looked a rather harsh decision.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
12 – Lovely build-up play between Lallana and Salah but the chance is scuppered as the Egyptian was marginally offside.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
15 – CLOSE! Liverpool corner falls in the box to Wijnaldum, who’s unable to keep his volley down.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
19 – Salah tees up Firmino, whose shot has the sting taken out of it by a deflection, leaving a comfortable save for Rui Patricio to make.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
20 – A promising attack for Wolves is broken up by Alexander-Arnold.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
21 – CLOSE! Van Dijk’s long pass finds Mane, who knocks it down for Salah. He connects beautifully on the volley but Rui Patricio makes the save.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
23 – Lovely interchange of passes between Salah and Firmino but the ball is intercepted as the latter looks to release Mane.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
24 – Slightly nervy moment for Liverpool as Gomez played the ball back to Alisson with Neto bearing down, but the goalkeeper showed great composure.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
28 – A bit of a scare there for Liverpool. Alisson’s mis-hit clearance came back off Moutinho and fell into the path of Neto but — thankfully for the hosts — he was in an offside position.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
28 – More fantastic attacking play from Alexander-Arnold on the right as he sends in a dangerous cross, only for Bennett to make a vital clearance.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
30 – CLOSE! Mane turns sharply and shoots, but Bennett again makes an important intervention.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
31 – CLOSE! Firmino gets his head to a corner, only for his effort to sail narrowly wide.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
33 – Play now being held up as Neves receives treatment following a collision with Lallana.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
35 – Wolves make a break, which is broken up as Mane does well to take the ball off the toe of Neves.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
38 – Alexander-Arnold gets himself into a dangerous position again. However, rather uncharacteristically, his cross is poor.
Liverpool 0 Wolves 0
42 – GOAL? Mane has the ball in the net after a knockdown from Lallana. VAR has been called in after the referee ruled the goal out. Replays suggest it hit Lallana’s shoulder fro Van Dijk’s brilliant long pass.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0 (Mane, 42)
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
42 – The goal is rightly given and Liverpool deservedly have the lead. It was a fabulous ball over the top from Van Dijk, Lallana steered it into Mane’s path, and his first-time finish beat Rui Patricio.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 1 (Neto, 45+3)
Liverpool 1 Wolves 1
45+3 – Neto steers the ball home after Liverpool failed to clear a low Neves cross from the right. However, there’s a suspicion of offside so VAR has been called into action again.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
45+3 – Oh dear! The goal has been ruled out and Wolves are furious. VAR has made itself the centre of attention once again. It was Jonny who was deemed to have been offside.
Half-time: Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
After a lengthy VAR delay where the ball appeared at first to strike Adam Lallana on the arm, Sadio Mane's goal stood.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 29, 2019
📺 Watch the second half of Liverpool v Wolves on SS Premier League
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Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
46 – With Liverpool leading in somewhat controversial circumstances, the game has resumed.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
47 – Moutinho has a shot from distance which is easily saved by Alisson.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
50 – Bright start to this second half from Wolves. Jota looks for Jonny with a cross to the back post but it’s just a little too heavy.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
53 – CLOSE! Alexander-Arnold’s corner finds Gomez, whose header goes just over — but it took a deflection off a Wolves defender so there’s another corner.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
53 – The next corner finds its way to Robertson at the back, but he’s unable to muster anything from it.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
56 – The ball finds its way back to Alexander-Arnold after another Liverpool corner, but his delivery from the left side is disappointing.
Jonny was penalised for the tightest of offside calls and Neto's strike was chalked off by VAR.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 29, 2019
📺 Watch the second half of Liverpool v Wolves on Sky Sports Premier League
📱 Follow #LIVWOL here: https://t.co/6UYwJFm2Vv
📲 Download the @SkySports app! pic.twitter.com/gLFljxoIt0
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
57 – Jota’s half-volley drifts across the face of the Liverpool goal but he was flagged for an offisde anyway. Moments later, Neto cuts in from the right but he can’t keep his effort down.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
58 – Two substitutions for Wolves, as Saiss and Traore replace Neves and Dendoncker.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
60 – Chance for Liverpool as Mane tees up Salah but Moutinho is there to clear the danger.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
61 – The ball falls kindly on the half-volley for Firmino following a Salah pass, but the Brazilian’s strike was always rising.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
63 – Naby Keita is getting ready to come on for Liverpool.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
65 – Mane goes down in the box after colliding with Jonny but the cries for a penalty are ignored by the referee.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
67 – Keita replaces Lallana for Liverpool.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
67 – CLOSE! Van Dijk was robbed of possession by Jota but Alisson comes to the rescue with an important save.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
68 – The subsequent corner from Moutinho finds Saiss, who can’t direct his header at the target. Wolves seem to have their tails up now.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
72 – We won’t be seeing Matt Doherty tonight. With their final substitution, Wolves replace Jota with Jimenez.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
73 – Wolves now seeing plenty of the ball in the final third but they’re struggling to create clear-cut chances.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
79 – Liverpool beginning to control the game now again as we prepare to head down the stretch. James Milner is getting ready to come on.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
80 – A Liverpool break sees Firmino release Salah to his right. However, the Egyptian’s touch is too heavy and the chance comes to nothing.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
83 – CLOSE! Jimenez latches onto a long ball but his shot is deflected over for a corner, which is eventually headed away by Alexander-Arnold.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
84 – Mane goes down under a challenge on the edge of the Wolves box, which doesn’t convince the referee that it’s worthy of a free-kick.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
85 – Robertson looks for Mane at the back post but Rui Patricio collects comfortably. Liverpool have now introduced Milner and Origi to replace Wijnaldum and Firmino.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
88 – Great chance for Moutinho but he can’t keep his half-volley down after being set up by Neto.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
89 – Another Wolves chance comes to nothing! Jimenez plays the ball back for Saiss, who blazes his effort over the crossbar. Will they get another opportunity?
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
90 – Four minutes of additional time to be played.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
90+2 – CLOSE! Vinagre gets in after a tangle of legs with Alexander-Arnold left the Liverpool full-back grounded. However, the Wolves attacker misses the target at the near post.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
90+3 – Moutinho tries to clip one over the top but there’s no one there to capitalise.
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
90+4 – Neto’s cross is headed clear by Alexander-Arnold but it falls to Traore, whose shot is deflected out for a corner. Could we have a dramatic ending?
Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
90+4 – Van Dijk heads the corner away and that’s all she wrote.
Full-time: Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
Another three points in the bag for Liverpool as their winning run continues, but the Wolves equaliser chalked off by VAR will dominate the post-match discussions.
Thanks for following our liveblog, we’ll have a full match report published shortly.
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