Julen Lopetegui was forced to admit that Liverpool deserved the win after his Wolves side paid a visit to Anfield this evening and succumbed to a 2-0 loss.
Though it perhaps wasn’t a vintage performance from the Reds at times, the effectiveness of what the Spaniard described as his opponents’ ‘aggressive’ press paid dividends over the course of the 90 minutes.
“Maybe we could have disrupted their rhythm. We weren’t able to do much damage in the space. We put Adama [Traore] on but didn’t find the moment, they were aggressive on the press,” the 56-year-old told Premier League Productions (via BBC Sport).
“In the first half we overcome some moments on this press, in the second half no.
“When you have this type of match, you have to keep the ball and be calm. In the first half we did this, we matched them, but in the second we did not have these chances.”
There was a major milestone for goalscorer Mo Salah as he registered 20 goals in a season for the sixth consecutive campaign, though it would be unfair to hand the Egyptian all of the limelight.
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The midfield, likewise, impressed on the night, however, it was the backline that will rightly receive much of the plaudits for the victory.
Kostas Tsimikas, in particular, shone as he came in for a beleaguered Andy Robertson in the left fullback position, showcasing a superb defensive work rate to help keep the scoreline level before switching things up in the second-half of action with some daring runs down the flank.
With Machester United set to visit at the weekend, we’ll need to demonstrate a similar, if not superior, level of intensity when it comes to asserting ourselves on the pitch and making life difficult for the Carabao Cup winners.
That’s a hard ask against a side clearly on the up under Erik ten Hag, though it would represent the most genuine turning point yet amid our ongoing pursuit of top four football.