Ruben Neves made a spectacular return to form with a blistering goal to knock Liverpool out of the FA Cup on Monday night.
The Portuguese midfielder has developed a reputation for scoring from range and this was his eighth strike from outside the box for Wolves. The only time he netted from inside the area was a penalty against Tottenham.
Neves has been instrumental in his team’s rise under Nuno Espirito Santo, setting the tempo in midfield and illustrating a vast array of passing, but his performances had dipped over winter as he adjusted to the top-flight.
The 21-year-old was back to his best for the visit of Jurgen Klopp’s changed team, snapping into tackles and bringing great energy. His winner came from some 30 yards and was a bolt from the blue.
‘It’s something Ruben does and we encourage him to do,’ Nuno said. ‘Last season saw it often. We know he has this talent.
'It was a very important moment for us and the fans. We had just lost a goal and to react with such a beautiful goal, Molineux came alive again.’
Does it make a top three of Neves goals? Here, Sportsmail weighs them all up and decides…
3. Liverpool, January 7, 2019
There seemed little danger when Neves received the ball from Ruben Vinagre but he got it out of his feet quickly and let rip with a shot that kept low, cutting between James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri, and swerved to beat Simon Mignolet at his near post.
The Belgian has been criticised at numerous points in his Liverpool career but on this occasion you have to applaud the strike. It travelled at such speed and was hit with such precision it is highly improbable any goalkeeper could have saved it.
It makes the top three for its importance as much as its quality. That it came against Liverpool, regardless of their changes, means something, and it also galvanised the home side soon after Klopp’s team had equalised to cap a memorable night.
2. Cardiff, April 6, 2018
This free-kick means his sublime first goal at Hull – a whirling blaster from way out – is nudged out, but the drama of this hit enhances its prominence. It was the winner in South Wales and placed Wolves on the precipice of promotion, inflaming tensions between Nuno and Neil Warnock after Cardiff missed two stoppage-time penalties.
Back to the goal: Neves took a short, straight run up but whipped the ball with great accuracy and velocity into the top corner, beyond the dive of Neil Etheridge.
It was pristine in its execution and we saw a similar technique when Neves scored past Jordan Pickford into the opposite corner on his Premier league debut.
1. Derby, April 18, 2018
One of the most gorgeous goals ever scored in the Championship and easily Neves’s best technically. Perched outside the Derby box for a Wolves corner, 33 yards out, the clearance came his way. His first touch sent the ball up in the air so he instinctively swept his right boot through it and it soared high then dipped into the top corner with great power.
Scott Carson would have had zero chance had he stood by the post and had a stepladder. Neves revealed afterwards that rather than setting himself up for the volley he had actually miscontrolled the ball so felt the imperative to shoot to avoid the threat of a counter attack.
‘It’s the first time as a manager I’ve almost applauded the opposition’s goal,’ Gary Rowett said. ‘I genuinely thought, what do you do about that? It is Champions League stuff.’
