Looking to continue their strong form from before the international break, Liverpool face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the early Premier League match on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp’s team comfortably defeated Aston Villa 3-0 in gameweek four, while Wolverhampton Wanderers suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.
Viewers who tuned in to watch the clash between Crystal Palace and Wolves a fortnight ago might have contemplated switching off their televisions during halftime. During the first half, Gary O’Neil’s team managed to hold off the Eagles without posing much of a threat themselves. However, both teams’ attackers came alive during a frantic second half.
In the span of 45 minutes, an impressive total of five goals found the back of the net. Unfortunately for Wolves, two of those goals came from Odsonne Edouard, with Eberechi Eze also finding the net, making Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha’s headers inconsequential.
August ended on a positive note for O’Neil’s team with a surprising win over Everton and a resounding 5-0 victory over Blackpool in the EFL Cup. However, their reality check at Selhurst Park left them in 15th place in the early-season standings, having suffered three defeats already.
It was expected that Wolves would face challenges as they adapt to life after Julen Lopetegui, even though his departure had been anticipated for some time. In the opening gameweek, the hosts put up a strong fight against Manchester United, but in the relegation battle, collecting points is more crucial than delivering impressive performances.
So far at Molineux, Wolves have only endured a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion this season. Before that, they had enjoyed a five-game unbeaten streak at home, conceding just one goal during that period.
However, their defensive resilience was quickly overshadowed when they faced Brighton, and a similar narrative might unfold as they take on a high-scoring Liverpool team. The international break likely did little to ease their concerns.
Facing an attack-minded Aston Villa team without their top-choice center-backs could have spelled trouble for Liverpool two weekends ago. However, Jurgen Klopp’s squad returned to their usual form in front of the Anfield crowd, securing a convincing victory by netting three goals against the Lions without conceding any.
Unai Emery, who had previously experienced humbling defeats at Anfield during his brief tenure at Arsenal, faced a similar outcome as Liverpool cruised to victory, thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s precise strike, Matty Cash’s own goal, and Mohamed Salah’s close-range finish.
For Salah, scoring a customary goal came amid persistent efforts from Al-Ittihad to lure him away from Merseyside. Nevertheless, the Egyptian winger remains as committed as ever to Liverpool, who have gathered 10 points from a possible 12, placing them in third position in the standings after four games.
With the exception of Manchester City, who have a flawless record, only Tottenham Hotspur have outperformed Liverpool, primarily due to their slightly superior goal difference. Klopp’s team has now extended their unbeaten streak in the Premier League to 15 games, scoring in 14 of those matches.
The focus will soon shift to Liverpool’s Europa League opener against LASK Linz. However, before that, they must seek revenge for last season’s disappointing 3-0 defeat to Wolves at Molineux in February, a loss partially rectified by a 2-0 victory at Anfield just a few weeks later.
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ recent Premier League form: LLWL
wolverhampton Wanderers form (all competitions): LLWWL
Liverpool Premier League form: DWWW”