Key events
34 min “Maybe it’s the changing of the seasons or the passing of the years, but I feel a strange melancholy for our young people’s future…” says Tim Woods. “One in which no one drinks in pubs, no one watches Test cricket, and no one raises an immediately smile at a reference to John Beck’s Cambridge.”
32 min The free-kick is touched off to Alexander-Arnold, who rifles the ball straight at Johnstone. That’s Liverpool’s first shot on target.
30 min Andre is booked for a lunging tackle on Mac Allister just outside the Wolves penalty area. He got the ball but then caught the man as his studs slipped off the top.
29 min An extended spell of Liverpool possession ends when Alexander-Arnold’s cross just evades the stretching Jota on the six-yard line.
28 min “Vindication!” is the subject of James Humphries’ email. “See? I was just circling the correct date, sheepdog-like. Drink your point of shame, Smyth.”
26 min There’s been a 12.30pm sluggishness to Liverpool’s performance, which is a bit strange. Diaz tries to energise them with a surge infield and a shot that deflects behind for a corner.
24 min A couple of moments ago, Arne Slot called Szoboszlai over for a chat while the game was going on. He’s not afraid to make early changes, as we saw at Ipswich, and at the moment Liverpool are second best.
22 min Semedo gets round the back again, keeps the ball in play and feeds it back to Cunha on the right edge of the area. He sweeps a curling shot that is comfortably held to his right by Alisson.
21 min Semedo somehow escapes three Liverpool players on the right and curls a dangerous cross that is pawed away by Alisson. Then Konate and Van Dijk make important interceptions. “Liverpool look well off it,” says Gary Neville on Sky.
20 min Well I’ll be dipped in surprise: Colum Farrelly informs us that Scotland’s squad numbers at Italia 90 were assigned in descending order of caps won (apart from the No1 goalkeeper because that would just be silly, Ossie). And here’s the proof.
17 min That corner leads to another, which is eventually cleared by Joao Gomes.
16 min A jittery Sam Johnstone, who had a pass intercepted earlier in the game, tries to play a simple square ball to a Wolves defender and instead puts it behind for a corner.
John Beck’s Cambridge never had this problem, that’s all I’ll say on the subject.
15 min Bellegarde’s inswinging cross is slightly too high for Strand Larsen, who heads the ball up and eventually behind for a goal kick. Wolves are doing pretty well, though.
13 min “I assume ‘drink your point’ was a typo,” says James Humphries, “but damned if it doesn’t resonate.”
And I haven’t even had the usual pre-MBM pints today.
12 min Robertson flashes a dangerous cross that evades Salah at the far post. He got the wrong side of Ait-Nouri, who challenged a little clumsily, but there wasn’t enough contact to engage Stockley Park’s finest.
10 min Salah’s deflected cross just evades Jota, who made a really good run towards the near post.
9 min Nothing much to report. Plenty of free-kicks, and as I type a little box on the TV informs us that Wolves have had 62 per cent possession.
7 min “Aw, nuts,” says James Humphries (see 2 min). “Roxburgh in 92, maybe? I was so sure of this, and I’m still mostly sober.”
Not according to Wikipedia. Drink your point; some battles aren’t worth fighting.
6 min Alexander-Arnold kicks the ball away, and you know what that means: he’s in Anthony Taylor’s book.
6 min Bellegarde, who has started on the left, gets away from Alexander-Arnold but shoots tamely from the left side of the area. Alisson makes an easy save.
5 min“Keane Elbow,” says Albert Farkas. “Weren‘t those the top two in the NME‘s most hated list circa 2004?”
Ha. Were they still in love with Razorlight at that stage?
4 min Quite a slow start to the game, with Liverpool happy to keep the ball and Wolves waiting for opportunities to counter-attack.
2 min “Settling my nerves with a pint and a read after a, uh, tense game at Fir Park (finished with ten men on each side),” says James Humphries, “and I reckon can go you one better on the silly buggers teamsheets – was it not Ally MacLeod who decided to number the 1978 team according to how many caps they had? Howling madness, man.”
I would love this to be true, because the legend of Scotland 78 isn’t strong enough as it is, but Wikipedia suggests otherwise.
1 min Peep peep! Liverpool kick off from left to right as we watch.
“Cold Trigger,” writes Niall Mullen. It took me a second but I got it in the end.
“Please continue to express your pleasure in Raul Jimenez’s return to form,” says Richard Hirst. “It was clearly your encouragement which led to him scoring the winner for us. Top six – woooo!”
Fulham could easily have won at Old Trafford as well; had you done so you’d be level with City and Arsenal.
“Rob, I face a stateside Everton fan dilemma,” says Mary Waltz. “As I bask in the rosy afterglow of today’s victory, dizzy from the heights of 15th place in the table, who should I root for? For Wolves to vanquish our ancient Red Enemy, or take a more strategic tact and cheer for any of our basement-dwelling relegation partners to lose?”
It’s too early to worry about relegation, even for Everton. Sit back, relax and sing Hi-Ho Wolverhampton with all your might.
“Well, I’m still convinced that when Villa beat Liverpool 5-1 in December 1976, that it lowered my natural disease resistance such that I had six weeks off work with pneumonia in January,” says Alec Smith. “Mind you, it was a bitter cold night and me & my dad were on the, what was then, exposed Witton Lane End.”
Sorry, I should have asked why late goals specifically would trigger a cold. (Also, weren’t Villa 5-1 up at half-time in that game? You could’ve gone home.)
“Cold trigger,” says a matter-of-fact Pete Higginson. “West Park. The goals flu in.”
“On the sofa waiting to follow the game,” says Pete Higginson. “Had a cold all week triggered by the late trouncing by Villa. Salami toasties for tea. Gary O’Neil gone by breakfast.”
I’m intrigued: how does a football match trigger a cold?
Plenty of activity in the 3pm games. Cole Palmer scored four times in the first half, Arsenal needed an injury-time goal to beat Leicester and Everton came from behind to win their first league game of the season. David Tindall will give you chapter and verse.
“Loath as I am to ever criticise Liverpool,” understates Matt Dony, “I wish they wouldn’t publish the team sheet in numerical order. Diaz at left CB? Robertson and Alexander-Arnold on either side of the front three? It would be entertaining, at least…”
It’s not as annoying as the clubs who play silly buggers and deliberately put the team in the wrong formation.
Team news
Both teams make two changes from their last league games. Wolves bring in Toti and Santiago Bueno at centre-back for the injured Yerson Mosquera and Craig Dawson.
Alisson returns in goal for Liverpool, replacing Caoimhin Kelleher, and Diogo Jota is in for the unwell Darwin Nunez.
Preamble
Hello, good evening and welcome to live coverage of Wolves v Liverpool at Molineux. It’s a chance for Liverpool to go top of the table and inform the world that there may be more than two horses in the title race.
Wolves, who were so impressive in their first season under Gary O’Neil, are in serious danger of infiltrating a different battle – the annual slog to avoid relegation. They’ve had a wretched start, picking up only one point from five games, although their run of fixtures has been extremely difficult. They’ve already played four of the top seven, and they’re about to make it five.
Kick off 5.30pm.
