Jurgen Klopp has his eyes on a bigger prize than the FA Cup but being knocked out in the third round will bruise all the same.
2018/2019 FA Cup
2-1
Match Events
6' Lovren goes down injured just 2 mins
Lovren is grimacing and has signalled to the bench. Another central defensive injury is the last thing Liverpool need. He stays on for the moment, but Hoever could be in line to make a debut of his own from the bench.
38'GOAL! Wolves 1-0 Liverpool (Jimenez)
GOAL!!! JIMENEZ GIVES WOLVES THE LEAD! Milner can't take a firm pass under control and Jota plays the striker in with acres to run into. Fabinho is caught upfield and Milner can't get past Jota to press the Mexican, who charges into the box and calmly powers the ball past Mignolet into the bottom-left corner! It's 1-0 to Wolves!
51'GOAL! Wolves 1-1 Liverpool (Origi)
GOAL!!! ORIGI FIRES LIVERPOOL LEVEL! The Belgian skips inside onto his weaker left foot and fires a shot through the legs of Dendoncker and past a sprawling Ruddy! Wolves will be bitterly disappointed to have given up their lead despite being the better side thus far. It's all square again at 1-1!
55'GOAL! Wolves 2-1 Liverpool (Neves)
GOAL!!!! WHAT A GOAL FROM NEVES!!! Neves switches the ball out smartly to Vinagre and gets it back some considerable distance from goal. He takes a touch and rifles a superb, dipping effort right into the bottom-left corner past a helpless Mignolet! What a strike that was to make it 2-1!
69' CLOSE! Shaqiri's free kick off the post
POST! What an effort! Shaqiri steps up and rattles the ball off the inside of the right post from the free-kick! He couldn't have gotten much closer without scoring!
Match Report
For the first time this season his Liverpool side have lost two consecutive matches and there were concerning performances from those players given a rare chance. Daniel Sturridge, for example, might be needed when the crunch comes in the Premier League but this was a night to cast doubt on his suitability.
Credit must go to Nuno Espirito Santo, who treated this tie and the competition seriously and was rewarded with another big-name scalp. He can now hang Liverpool on his office wall alongside Chelsea and Tottenham.
The goal that won the game was worthy indeed. Ruben Neves marked a return to form with a glorious strike from distance, and for once Simon Mignolet may be excused too much criticism.
It meant that Klopp's underwhelming record in the FA Cup continues - he has won three, drawn three, and lost four of 10 ties - and for a fourth successive season a team beginning with W dealt the final blow. West Ham in 2016, Wolves at Anfield in 2017, and West Brom last year. Klopp has become used to W meaning something altogether more pleasant this term.
Player Ratings
Line-ups
Wolves XI: John Ruddy, João Moutinho, Ryan Bennett, W. Boly, C. Coady, R. Jiménez, L. Dendoncker, J.Castro , Rúben Neves, Diogo Jota, Rúben Vinagre
Subs: Hélder Costa, M. Doherty, Ivan Cavaleiro, R. Saïss, Adama Traoré, W. Norris, M. Gibbs-White
Liverpool XI: Milner, Sturridge, S. Mignolet, D. Lovren, X. Shaqiri, Moreno, Origi, Fabinho, N.Keita, C. Jones, Rafael Camacho
Subs: Roberto Firmino, Salah, S. Mané, C. Kelleher, Isaac Christie-Davies, T. Alexander-Arnold, Ki-Jana Hoever