ANDY ROBERTSON marked his 200th Prem appearance for Liverpool with the late strike that sent Jurgen Klopp’s side towards comeback victory.
The Scotland left back, skippering the side in the place of suspended captain Virgil van Dijk, scampered onto a perfect lay – off from Mo Salah.
The eight goal of his Anfield career followed a 55th minute equaliser from Cody Gakpo and 60 seconds into time added on Harvey Elliott claimed a third, his shot deflected by Hugo Bueno past stranded Jose Sa and credited as an own goal..
Sub Elliott then sprinted to the massed ranks Liverpool fans and for a few seconds the celebrations threatened to get out of hand as he was engulfed by them.
Yet boss Klopp, for all his delight, will still have been alarmed by what went on within his side before all that back – slapping and self congratulation..
For if this is to be the “new” Liverpool that he is now trumpeting, they are going to have to blow a lot harder and hotter.
For they could so easily have been blown away by the break after Hee Chan-Hwang bagged the opener for Wolves.
In fact Klopp can’t have been unable to believe his eyes after that seventh minute strike minute strike for this threatened to become Groundhog day for him.
After witnessing the shocking capitulation of last February when Liverpool lost 3 – 0 here, the German insisted he had “no words” for that performance.
Well, he stood on the touchline this time around looking gobsmacked as he men in red were given the run-around.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
True enough skipper van Dijk was in dock while Trent Alexander-Arnold was side-lined with a pulled hamstring.
With Ibrahima Konate fit only for the bench he gave a full debut to 20 year old Jarrell Quansah.
Yet in Joe Gomez at right back and with Joel Matip alongside him Klopp should have been able to rely on long combined experience.
Except they found themselves running around in circles as Pedro Neto and Wolves £12.5M debutant Jean-Ricner Bellegrade constantly flew at them.
The Anfield pair were not helped by Dominic Szoboszlai and Alexis MacAllister who cost £95M and are supposed to be forming the midfield basis of the new Liverpool.
Szoboszlai, especially, kept giving the ball away on the right side and Neto and Bellegrade made hay.
Portuguese attacker Neto made Gomez and Matip look stupid, too, as he jetted into the box, easing past half – hearted tackles, to deliver a low cross.
Hwang met it first time and while Alisson looked to have stopped the effort with his legs he couldn’t prevent the ball crossing his line.
There were no words, indeed, for the defending or cover from the malfunctioning midfield – a throwback to seven months ago when a fifth minute Matip own goal signalled that defeat.
Klopp’s side had no answer – and worryingly for him no apparent desire – to get stuck into Gary O’Neil’s vibrant attackers.
In the 10th minute only a lucky touch by Gomez stopped Neto bagging a second and with just over a half hour gone Matheus Cunha should have done exactly that.
Neto, once again, took Gomez to the cleaners, nut – megging him before chipping across the box.
It was a gift for Cunha and all he had to do from six yards out but the £44M buy from Atletico Madrid mis – time his leap and ended up looking ike a clown.
Regrets there were then plenty as Salah slotted the ball in for Gakpo to crack home on the 55th minute.
From that point, with the Old Gold running out of steam there was only going to be one winner, Klopp having hooked Mac Allister at half – time had thrown on a clutch of fresh legs.
But he will know he dodged a bullet – and that new Liverpool or not, his side can still have plenty of problem at the back, just like the old Liverpool.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
