Not Liverpool, Diogo Jota's Spirit Sides with Wolves

WOLVERHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY – The battleground of the 29th week of the English League between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool, Wednesday (4/3/2026) WIB, at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, began with a special tribute to the late Diogo Jota. A large banner featuring a silhouette of Jota was displayed in the corner of the home and visiting supporters. Jota's spirit helped Wolves secure a 2-1 victory over Liverpool.

In the wildest thoughts of Wolves supporters, they certainly did not believe that their beloved team could conquer "The Reds." Before hosting Liverpool, Wolves had only achieved two victories in 29 matches they had played. The two teams were separated by 35 points in the standings, indicating a significant difference in quality this season.

In addition, Wolves have consistently suffered defeats in their last six encounters. The last positive result for Wolves was achieved in the second half of the 2022-2023 season.

However, the spirit of honoring Jota, who passed away due to a car accident last July, has led to a performance from Wolves that is significantly better than that of Liverpool. Their defense was very disciplined. The tactical plan of Wolves Coach Rob Edwards was executed brilliantly by his players, especially in the final 15 minutes of the second half.

Edwards' decision to bring on center-forward Tolu Arokodare worked perfectly. With his tall frame and excellent physique, the Nigerian striker posed problems for Liverpool's center-back duo, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, in Wolves' fast-break setup.

Arokodare became the creator of the first goal for Wolves scored by Rodrigo Gomes in the 76th minute. He won an aerial duel with Van Dijk, then provided a through ball to the open side of Liverpool's defense to assist Gomes. The goal process took only 12 seconds since Wolves regained possession in their own defensive zone.

Liverpool briefly ignited hopes of bringing home points thanks to a goal from Mohamed Salah in the 83rd minute. Salah's first goal in the Premier League in 2026 was initiated by a passing error from Wolves midfielder, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde. Two Wolves defenders failed to contain Salah's movement, allowing Wolves goalkeeper, Jose Sa, to be unable to fend off the left-footed shot from the Egyptian star.

The third victory of Wolves in the English League for the 2025-2026 season was secured through a shot by midfielder Andre Trindade in the 90+4 minute. The shot hit the leg of Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, causing the ball to change direction and unable to be saved by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.

Regardless of Gomez's reflection, Liverpool's defense is very fragile as Trindade was able to win the second ball duel after Alisson cleared the ball in front of his goal. No Liverpool player interfered with Trindade's movement.

Edwards stated that his protégés have proven their ability to compete in the Premier League. In addition to their gameplay, Edwards mentioned that the Wolves squad demonstrates the character that is greatly needed to compete in the top tier of English competition.

"We were a group that fought for each other, worked hard, and showed that we're not as bad as people think. We didn't play the way I wanted, but we showed character that helped us find solutions to get results," Edwards said in his post-match press conference, as quoted by Sky Sports.

With eight matches remaining, Wolves need a significant extra effort and a high degree of luck to escape the relegation zone. They are 11 points away from safety.

However, before considering efforts to avoid the threat of relegation, Wolves will first welcome Liverpool back to Molineux on Saturday (7/3/2026) at 03:00 WIB, in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

"We may have made them a little angry. So we will see later. We will strive to win both matches against Liverpool at home," said Edwards.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot stated that the match at Molineux highlighted a classic problem within his team throughout this season. Despite dominating possession (66 percent) and shots (19 shots), Liverpool was unable to capitalize effectively in attacking situations.

Liverpool failed to deliver effectively, with only one goal resulting from their six shots on target. In fact, they should have scored two goals, given their expected goals (xG) ratio of 1.81.

"How do I summarize this match? A familiar story that repeats itself. In several matches, we earned many points by scoring a lot of goals from set pieces. However, during that period, we struggled to score from open play opportunities. In fact, we controlled the ball and created more chances than the other team," said Slot as reported on the club's website.

This season, Liverpool has scored 29 goals, representing 60 percent of their total goals scored this season.

However, "Si Merah" is the team that has wasted the most opportunities from open play. They have squandered 52 chances and average 1.8 missed opportunities per game.

On the other hand, Slot also criticized the performance of his team's defense. According to him, the Wolves scored their first goal from a situation that was not a chance created by the home team.

"Mo (Salah) was intercepted during his dribble and Virgil (Van Dijk) should have won the aerial duel. We conceded in a situation that should not have happened. This has occurred repeatedly this season," said Slot.

He added, "I hope for more from us compared to what we have shown so far. This is a step back from our performance to date. With nine matches remaining, we cannot afford to lose any more points."

Liverpool is facing a difficult situation in the competition for the top four spots. They are still three points behind Manchester United and Aston Villa, who have just completed 28 matches. On the other hand, their points total (48 points) could be matched by Chelsea if they win against Villa on Thursday (5/3/2026 WIB).