Wolves manager Gary O’Neil highlighted Liverpool’s ability to bring in the ‘fantastic’ Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez as Jurgen Klopp’s team left it late to secure a 3-1 Premier League win at Molineux.
The difference was night and day.
As Wolves lost their grip of a game they had dominated throughout the first half – Hwang Hee Chan converting Pedro Neto’s assist as debutant Jean-Ricner Bellegarde dictated proceedings – O’Neil turned to his bench and brought on a young left-back, a striker who can’t buy a goal, a 31-year-old signed on a free, and a midfielder with one Premier League appearance on his CV.
Liverpool, in contrast, introduced Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez; the superior quality at Klopp’s disposal shining through as one of the Premier League’s pacesetters turned around that early deficit in the Black Country.
Liverpool triumph at Wolves
“I thought we had some really good opportunities. The lads worked extremely hard, created good chances, and they were big chances as well. But when you miss them, you know with players like Diaz and Nunez and people like that coming on, then you may rue those missed chances,” O’Neill sighs; Wolves defeat a repeat of that opening day heartbreak at Manchester United.
“This was a tough game and they’re going to be a good side this year. They’ve got so many fantastic players, and we knew we’d have to perform perfectly to give ourselves a chance of getting something.
“We gave it a really good go for a long time. But we got punished for an error for their second goal and the last 10 minutes or so were really open, and they scored a lucky third. We had a go for a long time, but, in the end, we fell a little bit short.”
Sensational Mo Salah grabs hat-trick of assists
With Mo Salah in a playmaking role – setting up all three of Liverpool’s goals – Cody Gakpo tapped in from close range, Andy Robertson finished stylishly and Harvey Elliott – another second half sub – hammered the final nail in Wolves’ coffin with a deflected third.
Liverpool are now up to third; four wins and a draw from their opening five games.
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