.png)
6 hours ago
4
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
32 min: Angel Gomes tries to release Hugo Bueno down the left, but his pass is way overcooked, and Gomez is able to usher the ball out for a goal kick without any drama. Wolves haven’t shown in attack yet. But then they didn’t really do that for the first 75 minutes on Tuesday, either, and look how that ended.
30 min: Szoboszlai’s corner from the left is half cleared. Gravenberch, from the best part of 30 yards, aims an ambitious low drive towards the bottom-left corner. It’s always sailing wide, and he’s never beating Johnstone from there anyway. The keeper in good position to watch it out.
29 min: Ngumoha is causing all sorts of bother down the left. He sits Tchatchoua down, dribbles hard and fast into the box, and his shot-cum-cross is forced behind by Joao Gomes. Yet another Liverpool corner coming up.
27 min: Arokodare gives the ball away cheaply to Gakpo, and sorts the situation out by bringing his opponent down. It’s a foul, though he’s fortunate not to go into the book.
26 min: … so they take it up a notch, and Gravenberch dribbles across the face of the Wolves box, right to left, before chopping back and pinging a shot off the back of Santiago Bueno and out for a corner. Salah sends it dangerously into the six-yard box, and Johnstone is forced to slap the ball over the bar while standing directly under it. The next corner is a waste of time.
24 min: Liverpool stroke it around the back awhile but go nowhere fast. All a bit ponderous.
22 min: Another Liverpool set piece, this time a free kick 35 yards out on the left. Robertson hoicks it long. Johnstone punches clear, Van Dijk falls over Gomez, and the whistle goes for offside.
20 min: Nothing comes of the next corner in the sequence. Meanwhile Liverpool fans take up memorial duties for their much-missed number 20. The whole stadium united.
19 min: Ngumoha is clipped out on the left wing. Szoboszlai sends the free kick in flat. It’s not a good delivery, but still enough to win a corner. Szoboszlai takes that as well, and it’ll lead to another.
18 min: The Diogo Jota tributes start. He was Wolves’ number 18.
17 min: Santiago Bueno is booked for a cynical tug back of Gakpo’s arm. A bit pointless, and now he’s on the disciplinary tightrope. Expect Ngumoha to run at him hard.
16 min: Tchatchoua dinks a cross in from the right. Arokodare winds his neck back, preparing to nut home, but Van Dijk eyebrows clear just in time.
14 min: A bit of space for Mane and Hugo Bueno down the Wolves left. But both dither over their next options, and neither delivers into the box. A wasted opportunity. “FFS United,” begins our Dundonian pal Simon McMahon, so you know what’s coming next. “Two-nil. Falkirk were in Scottish League One two years ago. Just as well I bought a six pack of whisky.”
12 min: Angel Gomes sloppily lets Mac Allister make off with the ball. The ball’s shuttled wide left to Ngumoha, who drops a shoulder to tear past Tchatchoua and whistles a shot straight at Johnstone, who parries. Earlier in the sequence, Jones had clipped Santiago Bueno, and there’s a short exchange of views at the next break in play.
10 min: Jones was listed as Liverpool’s right back, but it’s Szoboszlai playing there.
9 min: … Mac Allister, at the near post, clanks a header harmlessly wide left. He was trying to flick on, in fact, but let the ball slap off his forehead. He comes again, though, taking a shot from distance soon after the restart. Straight at the keeper.
8 min: Liverpool are enjoying the lion’s share of possession. They pass it around patiently. Another run for Ngumoha down the left. He slips in Robertson, who wins another corner, off Mosquera. And from that set piece …
6 min: Ngumoha dribbles down the left and wins the first corner of the match. Szoboszlai plays it short, back up the line to Gravenberch, who curls onto Gakpo’s head, six yards out. Gakpo steers a header onto the right-hand upright and back into the arms of Johnstone. Then the flag goes up for offside anyway. Cute set piece, though.
4 min: Now Robertson does exactly the same thing up the other end. Chalk both of those deliveries up as range-finders.
3 min: Liverpool’s box is crowded. Hugo Bueno sends the free kick over everyone’s head. What a waste.
2 min: Liverpool appear to be employing a one-man press. Jones. That’s it. Wolves play through it, and Mane dallies over a shot from the edge of the D. He can’t get one away, but then Gravenberch clips Toti and it’s a free kick for Wolves in a dangerous position, just left of centre, 30 yards out.
Liverpool get the ball rolling. “It’s 1-0 Falkirk,” writes Simon McMahon. “Hic!”
The teams are out! Wolves in old gold, Liverpool in all red, a sensational atmosphere at Molineux. The signature work of Robert Plant and Jeff Beck soundtracking things nicely. We’ll be off in a minute! “What a difference a week makes,” begins Dave Estherby. “Having avoided the ‘worst PL team ever’ tag currently held by Tottenham - sorry - Derby County, Rob Edwards must surely fancy this. Too soon to hope for 17th in the League and an FA Cup winners medal?! Probably. Gonna be fun though.”
Pre-match postbag. “Doesn’t this game now mean more to Liverpool than it does to Wolves? I’m therefore predicting a Liverpool win tonight, followed by an almighty slump in their league form” – Andrew Goudie
“I’m a Liverpool fan who’s got a lot of respect for Wolves and their style. The result at Molineux on Tuesday was disappointing, but I felt happy for the jubilant home fans who’ve had a rough season. The sight of arguably the greatest half-and-half scarf of all time, honouring the memory of Diogo Jota, was very emotional” – Peter Oh
“The romance of the cup, eh? Wolves and Liverpool, storied histories both, in the greatest cup competition of them all. On a Friday night! I might even crack open a can of whisky. And perhaps you won’t mind if I keep you and your other reader abreast of events elsewhere with bonus Scottish Cup action? To be specific, Dundee United’s trip to the Falkirk Stadium in the Scottish Cup quarter finals. What an occasion that promises to be. It could be an epic night. Cheers!” – Simon McMahon (and yes, please be our guest)
Arne Slot speaks to TNT Sports. “We want to do much better than when we were here three days ago … we are able to do better and we should do better … we had lots of ball possession but not as many chances as I was hoping for … [Rio Ngumoha’s] playing time has increased a lot … the next step if you go from five minutes to 10 to 15 to half an hour … is starting a game … especially if he does well … [Hugo Ekitike] has to play every single game and that is not common … you want to rotate once in a while … [the FA Cup] is an important trophy to win, so that’s what we are trying.”
Diogo Jota served both of these famous old clubs with distinction. Beloved by Wolves and Liverpool supporters alike, Jota and his brother André Silva were fondly remembered during the Premier League game on Tuesday, and doubtless will be again tonight. Jota has also been memorialised in a piece created by former Wolves player turned artist Jody Craddock, painted using ink made from petals of floral tributes left at Molineux last summer. It was unveiled this week and will hang permanently in the stadium reception.
Remembering Diogo 💛
A memorial artwork created by Jody Craddock, painted with ink made out of the petals from floral tributes left by fans in memory of Diogo Jota, has been unveiled at Molineux. pic.twitter.com/aStwzk8pGt
Wolves boss Rob Edwards speaks to TNT Sports. “It’s really important … I wouldn’t want to say this is our stronger team, we have a really tight-knit group now … really good options … we wanted to try to win both games … we picked a team on Tuesday night to try to do that and we’ve done that again tonight … we’re expecting a little bit more aggression from Liverpool … to really come at us … we’ve got real speed on the outside … [Liverpool] are going to want to prove a point tonight … we have to be right back at it … I don’t see them changing loads tactically … we feel we’ve got a good plan … we can enjoy it … [the fans] deserve something to shout about.”
Wolves make six changes to the side named for the Premier League match on Tuesday night, and go big. Sam Johnstone, Angel Gomes, Jean‐Ricner Bellegarde, Tolu Arokodare, Yerson Mosquera and captain Toti Gomes are in. José Sá, Matt Doherty, Ladislav Krejčí, David Møller Wolfe, Adam Armstrong and André are out, with all bar Sá and André on tonight’s bench.
Liverpool also name a strong side, with four changes to their starting XI. Joe Gomez, Andy Robertson, Curtis Jones and 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha are in; Ibrahima Konaté, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong drop to the bench. Florian Wirtz returns from injury to take a place in the dugout alongside them.
The teams
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Johnstone, Mosquera, Santiago Bueno, Toti Gomes, Tchatchoua, Bellegarde, Angel Gomes, Joao Gomes, Hugo Bueno, Arokodare, Mane.
Subs: Bentley, Doherty, Wolfe, Armstrong, Hwang, Pedro Lima, Rodrigo Gomes, Krejci, Edozie.
Liverpool: Alisson, Jones, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Gakpo, Ngumoha.
Subs: Mamardashvili, Konate, Kerkez, Wirtz, Chiesa, Ekitike, Frimpong, Nyoni, Morrison.
Referee: Farai Hallam (Surrey)
Preamble
Some of you may be old enough to remember this …
… which puts Arne Slot and his team, several of whom appear to be running on fumes, under all sorts of pressure tonight. Wolverhampton Wanderers, in form yet unencumbered by expectation, were dangerous on Tuesday and could be again tonight. A place in the quarter-finals is the prize; the teamsheets – given Wolves haven’t quite given up on a Great Escape just yet, while Liverpool struggle to keep all of their plates spinning - will be interesting and possibly extremely revealing. Kick-off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on!
