Liverpool vs. Wolves
Venue: Anfield Stadium
Kick off: 8:15PM
For the first time since being crowned champions, Liverpool will play in front of their own fans as 2,000 supporters return to Anfield for the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers tonight.
Jurgen Klopp’s side head into the weekend with only goal difference keeping them off the top of the table, but Wolves could move to within just one point of their opponents if they end the Reds’ long unbeaten run at home.
Few Premier League clubs will have missed the roar of their fans as much as Liverpool as Anfield opens its doors to supporters for the first time in nine months.
In that time, Liverpool have of course been crowned champions for the first time in 30 years, but fans have had to wait until Sunday to recognise that achievement in person, and even then only 2,000 will be lucky enough to have the opportunity to do so.
One thing which has not changed in the absence of supporters is Liverpool’s imperious record at home; their unbeaten run now stands at 64 games – the second-longest such run in English football history – while they have won 29 of their last 30, picking up an incredible 88 points from the 90 on offer in that time.
It is a remarkable fact that a significant chunk of their current squad – including Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson, Fabinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane – have never lost a league game at Anfield during their Liverpool careers.
Wolves will be looking to change that stat for those who are fit to play this weekend, and they have cause for optimism after beating the champions away from home last season too – a 2-0 triumph over Manchester City.
Should they repeat that feat at Anfield then they would be become only the third team in Premier League history to beat the defending champions away from home in consecutive seasons, and they will consider this as good a chance as any with Liverpool potentially missing as many as 11 first-team players.
The Reds have so far coped admirably with their injury crisis and still sit joint-top of the table heading into the weekend, despite dropping points at Brighton & Hove Albion last time out.
The controversial VAR decision at the end of that match, coupled with Klopp’s post-match protestations about the TV scheduling, could have threatened to knock Liverpool further off course in what has already been a disrupted and unique campaign.
However, they returned to winning ways with a 1-0 triumph over Ajax in midweek, booking their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a game to spare thanks largely to the contributions of youngsters Caoimhin Kelleher, Curtis Jones and Neco Williams.
That was only Liverpool’s second win in their last five outings across all competitions, though, and the draw with Brighton last weekend means that they have now dropped more points from winning positions this season than they did throughout the whole of last term.
That statistic may not surprise Klopp given both the incredible season they enjoyed last term and the unprecedented circumstances of 2020-21, but it will still be a concern heading into a match against a Wolves team more than capable of exposing a patched-up defence.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side overcame the distressing departure of Raul Jimenez with a fractured skull en route to victory at Arsenal last weekend – a result which leaves them seventh in the table and only four points off the top after 10 games.
It is Wolves’ best start to a top-flight campaign since 1979-80, and in a season where many of the ‘big six’ have struggled, victory at Anfield may just raise hopes of a top-four push this term.
Only Manchester United have now won more Premier League away games than Wolves in 2020, but they have not won back-to-back such games since June and should their recent trend of alternating between wins and losses on the road continue this weekend then they are set for defeat on Merseyside.
They have a poor record against Liverpool too, losing each of their last seven Premier League meetings and only winning one of 12 overall – although that did come at Anfield almost exactly a decade ago.
Liverpool possible XI: Kelleher, N Williams, Fabinho, Matip, Robertson, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Salah, Firmino, Mane, Jota.
Wolves possible XI: Patricio, Semedo, Boly, Coady, Marcal, Dendoncker, Moutinho, Traore, Podence, Neto, Silva.