Liverpool FC secured a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday, with Jarell Quansah making his first competitive start for the Reds. The centre-back, who joined Liverpool from Ajax in the summer, replaced the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold and partnered with Joel Matip in defence. Quansah impressed with his composure and aerial ability, helping Liverpool keep a clean sheet.
Jota and Salah score against former club
Liverpool took the lead in the 73rd minute, when Diogo Jota scored against his former club with a header from a Kostas Tsimikas cross. Jota, who left Wolves for Liverpool in 2020, celebrated respectfully and received applause from the home fans. Mohamed Salah doubled the lead four minutes later, finishing off a counter-attack with a low shot past Jose Sa. Salah, who also played for Wolves on loan in 2015, did not celebrate either and acknowledged the Wolves supporters.
Gravenberch makes his Liverpool debut
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp made three changes to his starting line-up, with Quansah, Tsimikas and Curtis Jones coming in for Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Harvey Elliott. Ryan Gravenberch, who signed for Liverpool on deadline day from RB Leipzig, was named on the bench and made his debut in the 79th minute, replacing Jones. The Dutch midfielder showed some glimpses of his quality and nearly scored with a long-range effort that went just wide.
Liverpool move to second place in the table
The win at Molineux was Liverpool’s fourth consecutive victory in the Premier League, following their 3-0 win over Aston Villa before the international break. The Reds moved to second place in the table, one point behind leaders Manchester City, who beat Southampton 2-1 on Friday. Wolves, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat of the season and dropped to ninth place, seven points behind Liverpool.
Klopp praises his players and Wolves fans
After the match, Klopp praised his players for their performance and also thanked the Wolves fans for their respectful reaction to Jota and Salah’s goals. He said: “It was a very tough game, Wolves are a very good team and they made it difficult for us. But I think we deserved to win, we scored two nice goals and defended well. I’m very happy for Jarell, he did a fantastic job on his first start. He’s a very talented player and he has a bright future here. And I’m also very happy for Diogo and Mo, they scored against their former club but they showed respect and they got respect back from the Wolves fans. That was a very nice gesture from both sides.”
