Digging Deeper Into Liverpool's 2-1 Victory Over Wolverhampton
Yesterday at 04:40 PM
With a victory over Wolves in the books, we take a closer look at what it all means for the Reds.
Liverpool go top of the table after a hard fought win against Wolverhampton at Molineaux. The Reds found themselves up against an opponent that, especially in the early portions of the game, were able to pin Liverpool back and force the issue in a few key ways. In the end, though, Liverpool's overall quality managed to overwhelm the home side, claiming all three points and the perch atop the Premier League table. Let's take a closer look at some of the key takeaways.
Dissecting the Narrative
Coming into the match, Liverpool have quietly built a strong case for being among the league's best defensive units. In fact, according to Understat, they are the stingiest team in the league in terms of limiting scoring opportunities. If the xG reported from Sporting Life is to be believed, they were back to their very best again in a tough away fixture against Wolves, conceding .57 xG to the home side. And considering at least two of Wolves' biggest xG values come from that goal-line scramble that led to the opener, it's quite possible the overall defensive performance is more impressive than the scoresheet would even attest.
It does, however, remind folks of just how fine the margins in elite sports are: what felt like a rare and uncommon miscue led to not only inflating the xG conceded, but also to the eventual goal. Defenders switching off momentarily or a midfielder playing loose with the ball is all it takes for an opponent to turn the nature of a match on its head. Thankfully, this didn't end up preventing Liverpool from taking full points.
The new features in Slot's defensive scheme haven't all come to light but I will say that it does appear that while the club fully understands the pressing triggers and angles, it does feel like opponents look incredibly unsettled on balance when Liverpool decide to press. It's nice because I remember at different points last season - most notably against Arsenal - where I could see Liverpool struggle against a press; there were times where it looked as though the ball carriers were genuinely surprised to see certain pressing players arrive.
That's been turned around this year as few sides have a sense of what angle the help will arrive when we opt to press. And the efficiency of the folks upfront - like Diogo Jota - putting in tackles and slowing the counter has to be celebrated. I've seen tracking back and being accountable defensively across the squad in ways that feels refreshing.
Giving Credit to the Opponent
Wolves definitely didn't make it easy as the pattern of difficult matches against this side continues. I guess I'd hoped that the departure of Pedro Neto might have made things a little bit less tense, but they deserve a lot of credit not only for making a game of it but doing so in a way that felt more sporting: Wolves launched attacks, felt like they wanted to play, and at one point had a bigger share of possession as well as more shots than Liverpool. Of course, Liverpool grew into the match and, in the end, it felt a professional victory - not unexpected, but certainly a challenge.
Liverpool are going to need to convert most of these types of matches into wins in order to launch a proper title challenge. But it's certainly promising that the Reds have managed to get the job done thus far this season.
What Happens Next
Liverpool play host to Serie A side Bologna mid-week in Champions League play. Then, they close out the crush of fixtures before the international break with a visit to Selhurst Park and a tie with Crystal Palace. Liverpool have had a favorable start to the season and have mostly gone about their business. They'll need to keep doing so in order to keep pace and pressure City and Arsenal over the next few weeks.
