Technology favored Liverpool in a rough match at Anfield

The technology favored Liverpool, who are currently thirteen points ahead of Leicester, and decided one of the toughest matches Anfield has seen in recent times. After the festival they offered against Leicester (0-4) on Boxing Day, Jürgen Klopp's men had to face a group that had lost only one match away from their stadium since September. Undoubtedly, a very tough duel was about to take place.

The numbers of Wolverhampton away from their stadium offered respect: one away defeat in the last minute against Tottenham, three victories, and six draws. Respectable numbers for the club led by Nuno Espírito Santo, who also had a festive day during the week after overcoming the powerful Manchester City (3-2).

However, in an attempt to scratch something at Anfield, Espírito Santo showcased his most conservative side. He left his top goal scorers of the season, Adamá Traoré from Spain, and Raúl Jiménez from Mexico, on the bench, watching the game along with substitutes like Matt Doherty, who has scored three goals.

He relied on Max Kilman and Ryan Bennett in the center of the defense, and on the Portuguese players Pedro Neto and Ruben Vinagre to fill in for Traoré and Jiménez. With four new faces, three central defenders, and another defender in the midfield like Belgian Leander Dendoncker, Wolverhampton made their intentions clear: hold on at the back and counterattack.

It worked for 42 minutes, which was the time it took for Sadio Mané from Senegal to break Wolverhampton's defense, which had been desperate throughout the first half. Without the ball, with many kilometers behind Klopp's team, they died on the brink of halftime against an electric but not very lethal rival in the final third. Liverpool had few chances until Mané's appearance, but they dominated incontestably.

With the only change in the lineup being Adam Lallana in place of Guinean Naby Keita, the Reds took control of the match against Wolverhampton and, although they opened the scoring late, they could have gone into halftime with a larger lead with chances from Lallana, Egyptian Mohamed Salah, and Dutchman Georginio Wijnaldum. In the end, it was Mané who did justice for Liverpool after picking up a rebound off Lallana's shoulder and beating Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patrício in a one-on-one situation.

The VAR checked the play for a possible handball by Lallana and validated Liverpool's goal. It did not do the same with Pedro Neto's goal for Wolves in added time of the first half. In his case, the Spanish full-back Jonny Castro's goal was disallowed due to a millimeter offside.

Furious, "The Wolves" went to the locker room, lamenting Neto's invalidated goal that would have equalized the score. In the following 45 minutes, they had to change their passive attitude. Men like Mexican Raúl Jiménez and Spaniard Adama Traoré were waiting for their turn to revolutionize the match, and in the meantime, Espírito Santo pushed his lines forward.

The impact of the change was undeniable. In the first seven minutes, Wolverhampton had 73 percent of possession. And at 60 minutes, they gave up their conservatism for good. Traoré and Moroccan Romain Saiss came on the field and Espírito Santo changed his formation to play with three forwards.

In theory, Liverpool was going to have more space to do what they do best, crush their opponents like a steamroller. However, the changes worked for Wolverhampton, who dominated almost the entire second half. They only missed testing Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who only had to intervene in a shot from Diogo Jota after a mistake by Dutchman Virgil Van Dijk.

Then, Espírito Santo used his last card with the introduction of Raúl Jiménez. He had nothing to lose and brought out all his firepower. And for twenty minutes, he desperately tried to get closer to Alisson's area, but Jiménez, Vinagre, and Traoré failed to hit the target. In the end, Liverpool withstood the attacks of an uncomfortable team and secured another victory of the season, taking another step towards the title. With one less game played, they are thirteen points ahead of Leicester. Liverpool has no rival.

-- Match details:

1.- Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Lallana (Keita, min. 67), Henderson, Wijnaldum (Milner, min. 86); Salah, Firmino (Origi, min. 86), and Mané.

0.- Wolverhampton: Rui Patricio; Bennet, Coady, Kilman; Jonny, Dendoncker (Traoré, min. 58), Neves (Saiss, min. 58), Moutinho, Vinagre; Neto, and Diogo Jota (Raúl Jiménez, min. 72).

Goals: 1-0, min. 42: Mané.

Referee: Anthony Taylor. Yellow card shown to Lallana (min. 45+1) for Liverpool and Wolverhampton coach Nuno Espírito Santo (min. 45+4).

Incidents: Match corresponding to the twentieth round of the Premier League held at Liverpool's Anfield stadium.