Wolves 2-1 Liverpool: FA Cup third round – as it happened

Ruben Neves’s beautiful goal and an immense save from John Ruddy gave Wolves a deserved victory over a listless Liverpool at Molineux

9.53pm GMT

Daniel Taylor’s match report has landed, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company and emails, goodnight!

Related: Rúben Neves makes the difference for Wolves in FA Cup against Liverpool

9.42pm GMT

Post-match interviews

Conor Coady “It was always going to be a nervy end, but we stood tall against a good team and it’s a great victory for everybody. We had a gameplan and we were outstanding – we moved the ball well and scored two outstanding goals.”

9.39pm GMT

It was an enjoyable game, settled by Ruben Neves’s sizzling goal. Liverpool were a bit listless, though the 16-year-old debutant Ki-Jana Hoever showed immense promise in the centre of defence.

9.38pm GMT

Wait!

You can follow the draw for the fourth round right here, right now.

Related: FA Cup fourth round draw – live!

9.37pm GMT

Wolves are into the fourth round and Liverpool are out of the FA Cup!

9.37pm GMT

90+3 min Milner’s corner is headed clear. Mignolet is still forward, and now Liverpool have a free-kick near the halfway line. It’s played short to Salah, who crosses hopefully into the area. Fabinho gets to the ball first but only head tamely through to Ruddy from 10 yards. It wasn’t much of a chance.

9.36pm GMT

90+2 min Salah tries to wriggle past Coady, who concedes a corner. Mignolet is coming forward...

9.34pm GMT

90 min There will be three minutes of added time.

9.33pm GMT

89 min It’s been fairly close but Wolves would be deserved winners. They picked a stronger team and they’ve been the stronger team.

9.32pm GMT

88 min At the other end, Cavaleiro overhits a through pass to Vinagre. That was a trickier pass than Keita’s at the other end, so curb your opprobrium.

9.31pm GMT

86 min “Most of Liverpool’s earthier pubs will be full of Evertonians,” says Mark Leadbeater, “so proffer away.”

The point stands, surely.

9.30pm GMT

85 min That Salah half-chance came from a thrilling piece of play from Hoever, who won the ball in his own area and marched 40 yards before finding Shaqiri.

9.28pm GMT

84 min The first bit of life from Salah, who zips infield from the right and hits a deflected shot which is headed away by Bennett. That might have been going in. Moments later, Keita has a chance to play Salah through but grossly overhits a relatively simple pass.

9.28pm GMT

83 min A Wolves change: Helder Costa replaces the excellent Raul Jimenez, who scored a good goal and worked his organs off.

9.27pm GMT

82 min Origi wins a corner for Liverpool. It amounts to nowt, and then Camacho again shoots wide from long range. That was a better effort, which whistled a few yards wide of the far post.

9.25pm GMT

80 min It’s not necessarily an opinion I’d proffer just after last orders in some of Liverpool’s earthier public houses, but I think this would probably be a good result for both sides.

9.23pm GMT

79 min It’s all Liverpool now, though Wolves are comfortable playing on the counter-attack. Camacho tries an impatient shot from miles out which drifts well wide.

9.22pm GMT

77 min “I read the Hoever in the line up as a typo of Whoever, which I’d presumed was the new form of squad filler, as in the old A.Another when you couldn’t be bothered listing a full squad (for an irrelevant FA Cup match or whatever),” says Justin Kavanagh. “How old is he again?”

He hasn’t even been born yet.

9.20pm GMT

76 min After an execrable start, this has turned into a decent game. Liverpool are now playing 4-2-3-1, with Firmino behind Salah, Origi on the left and Shaqiri on the right.

9.18pm GMT

74 min A Wolves change: Matt Doherty replaces Jonny.

9.18pm GMT

73 min Jimenez galumphs down the right and crosses towards Cavaleiro at the far post, where Hoever makes an important interception. He’s done so well. It’s one thing to play professional football as a 16-year-old, but to do so at centre-half is beyond.

9.15pm GMT

72 min Ruddy definitely got a touch on that Shaqiri free-kick. It was a monstrously good save.

9.15pm GMT

70 min A double change for Liverpool: Salah and Firmino replace Sturridge and Jones, who had a quiet debut.

9.14pm GMT

69 min: Shaqiri hits the inside of the post! It was a stunning free-kick, which curled and dipped wickedly before hitting the post, rebounding across the line and spinning behind for a goalkick. I think Ruddy got a fingertip on that; if he did, it was an outrageous save.

9.12pm GMT

68 min Coady fouls Sturridge 25 yards from goal, slightly to the right of centre - perfect, in other words, for Xherdan Shaqiri...

9.11pm GMT

67 min Like.

| @rubendsneves_ pic.twitter.com/zecOXYTczM

9.09pm GMT

65 min “Sorry Rob, did I miss anything in the first half?” asks Jill O’Donnell. “I was watching Britain’s Busiest Motorway, brilliant episode. This looks like it’s been a decent game!”

Best game ever.

9.08pm GMT

63 min Camacho, who has been really good in possession, draws a foul from Vinagre with a smart turn. Shaqiri’s inswinger is headed away by Jimenez.

9.06pm GMT

62 min “A successful halftime bollocking indeed,” says Charles Antaki. “With some managers, the ranting and raving is hard to picture (Sir Roy, say) but with Klopp I like to imagine the scene involving the best elements of Transformers, The Exorcist, and King Kong, plus a bit of Nosferatu to give it some light and shade.”

And at least one lusty, throaty laugh to lighten the mood before he hoofs a teapot at Alberto Moreno’s noggin.

9.06pm GMT

61 min The teenager Hoever dithers for a split-second and is robbed by the indefatigable Jimenez, who drags the ball round Mignolet but runs out of room and can only stab it into the side-netting.

9.02pm GMT

57 min “As a Liverpool fan,” says Niall Mullen, “I was wondering: is there any way we can win this game by then not have to play any further games in the F.A. Cup? A good cup run, even a cup win does nothing for this team (I’m sorry to say). The Cup has been dead since Manchester United* killed it in 2000 so that England could host the 2006 World Cup (which to be fair was amazing so credit to the FA for choosing to play all the games in Germany).


“*bantz it was already dead”

9.01pm GMT

A touch of class from Ruben Neves. He clipped the ball out wide to Vinagre an then ran across to make himself available for the return pass. He had just enough space to get the ball out of his feet and then, as Shaqiri closed in, hit a wobbling, dipping shot from 30 yards that beat Mignolet and flew just inside the near post.

8.59pm GMT

Beautiful goal!

8.57pm GMT

53 min “You did indeed mention that Hoever is only sixteen,” says Ian Copestake, “but did you do it in your Michael Caine voice?”

8.56pm GMT

52 min A Wolves substitution: Ivan Cavaleiro replaces Diogo Jota.

8.56pm GMT

It was a cracking finish from Origi. Milner’s shot on the turn was blocked and rebounded to Origi on the edge of the box. He shuffled inside Boly, onto his left foot, and thrashed a rising drive past the diving Ruddy. That’s an excellent goal.

8.55pm GMT

The half-time coating has worked!

8.54pm GMT

50 min The increased zest of Liverpool’s performance suggests a not insignificant half-time brollocking from Jurgen Klopp.

8.52pm GMT

49 min “All this talk about disrespect reminds me of the days I was studying at Leeds, eighteen years ago,” says Thida Aung. “Those were the (Manchester) United days. They were the dominant team throughout the season and I might be wrong here but they did not get a lot of flak for not fielding their strongest squad. In fact, I was given a backhanded compliment by one of the lecturers on Liverpool winning the League Cup, what he said amounting to that it was the wrong cup/title to win. Another questioned my excitement when Liverpool went on to win the FA Cup. Both lecturers were staunch United fans and they taught this foreigner that cups are nothing in English football or something big teams win by accident.”

Well, questions were asked in parliament in 1994, when Manchester United picked a weakened team against Port Vale that included Keane, Scholes, Neville, Irwin, Butt and Beckham. But, yes, the culture has changed since then. I don’t think anyone seriously thinks Liverpool have disrespected the Bing with their team selection tonight.

8.52pm GMT

48 min Liverpool’s youngsters weren’t the problem in the first half. It was the mature reserves, who were either indolent, ineffective or both.

8.49pm GMT

47 min “Liverpool already used one of their subs so we can’t see Salah, Mane and Firmino,” points out Rivka Oppenheim. “I agree this match sucks!”

8.49pm GMT

46 min Peep peep! Wolves begin the second half.

8.39pm GMT

Half-time chit-chat

Bill Hargreaves “No hats off for Milner. Jota has caused him to blot his copybook. All we need now is for Vinagre to rub salt into the wound.”

8.36pm GMT

Half-time reading

Related: Sky-high mascot fees prove nothing is beneath Premier League profiteers | Richard Williams

8.35pm GMT

After a tedious 35 minutes, Wolves took the lead through Raul Jimenez’s expert finish and threatened to add a second before half-time. I’m sure we’ll be seeing at least one and possibly all three of Salah, Mane and Firmino after the break.

8.34pm GMT

Peep peep!

8.34pm GMT

45+3 min The hitherto faultless Hoever tries to run the ball out of defence and loses it to Vinagre. He surges forward and angles a sharp cutback towards Jimenez, who miskicks an attempted snapshot from 12 yards.

8.32pm GMT

45+2 min The last man Fabinho again takes a risk by diving in, but this time he makes a vital interception to stop Jimenez running through on goal.

8.31pm GMT

45+1 min There will be three added minutes.

8.31pm GMT

45 min Jimenez almost gets a shooting chance after a pitiful attempt at a clearance by Moreno. Thankfully for him there were other defenders around and Jimenez was crowded out.

8.30pm GMT

44 min Liverpool are not without options on the bench: Salah, Mane and Firmino are all available.

8.28pm GMT

42 min Moreno, fractionally offside from Sturridge’s pass, has a shot beaten away by Ruddy.

8.28pm GMT

41 min It was a poor touch from Milner but he wasn’t the only player at fault. Fabinho dived in unnecessarily on the halfway line, betraying his inexperience in the position, and that meant Jimenez was able to run through on goal without challenge.

8.26pm GMT

40 min “Hey Rob,” says JR in Illinois. “In your 3 min entry you say that the Lovren being injured would be detrimental for Wolves. I can’t tell if you were being snarky or if you really meant to say ‘Liverpool’ instead of ‘Wolves’. I’ll have you know Lovren is one of the best defenders in the world. I know this because he told me so.”

8.25pm GMT

It was, in fairness, a stinker of a goal to concede. Milner miscontrolled the ball on the halfway line and was robbed by Jota. He stabbed the ball to Jimenez, taking Fabinho out of the game in the process, and Wolves were two against one. With Hoever unable to get across, Jimenez to within 10 yards of goal before crashing the ball emphatically across Mignolet and into the net.

8.24pm GMT

Told you it was a stinker!

8.22pm GMT

36 min To call this game a stinker would be an egregious insult to all things malodorous. Nothing has happened.

8.22pm GMT

35 min “At the risk of interrupting the praise that the club appears to be getting for bringing Hoever on, can it perhaps be pointed out that he only signed in summer 2018 after he failed to sign a deal at Ajax?” says James Elliott. “I thought looting other club’s youth setups was something deemed to be wrong?”

You still believe in morality? Oh, how quaint, how 2015 of you.

8.20pm GMT

34 min Jonny’s rising cross-shot from an absurd angle is patted down comfortably by Mignolet. That officially constitutes the first shot on target of the match, though I suspect it was a cross.

8.19pm GMT

33 min Jimenez’s attempted through pass to Jota is cut out by Hoever, who has started very well and whose name will appear as However before this match is out if my auto-correct has anything to do with it.

8.16pm GMT

31 min Glory be, a chance! Milner’s up and under bounces off a couple of Wolves defenders and falls to Shaqiri, who drags wastefully wide from 15 yards. It took a deflection off a Wolves defender but it was going miles wide anyway.

8.14pm GMT

29 min “I’m 41,” says Tim Woods, “and I’m writing bad novels, substantially overestimating my ability on guitar, and listening to a lot of Britpop, while sporting awful hair. Clearly Matt Dony is doing far better than me. As is Hoever.”

If you think he’s good at football, you should see his poetry.

8.13pm GMT

28 min On the plus side, there are still replays in the third round of the FA Cup.

8.12pm GMT

27 min Wolves enquire for a penalty when Vinagre’s cross hits Hoever in the area. I don’t think it hit his arm, and if it did it was unavoidable.

8.11pm GMT

26 min He’s sixteen.

8.10pm GMT

25 min A better cross from Moreno flashes across the face of goal. Liverpool look the more likely creators of a chance.

8.10pm GMT

24 min A nice run down the left from Curtis Jones, who nutmegs Jonny before lifting a cross that is too close to Ruddy.

8.07pm GMT

21 min It feels like Liverpool have dominated possession, though I cannot presently verify this with cold, hard data. It’s all very subdued at the moment.

8.06pm GMT

20 min “At 16,” begins Matt Dony, “I was writing bad poetry, substantially overestimating my ability on guitar, and listening to a lot of grunge, while sporting awful hair. (Yes, I was exactly as cool as you’re imagining.) I cannot comprehend what it must be like to be a 16yr old coming on for Liverpool, knowing millions of people care about how you perform. I hope he has a stormer.”

Fine sentiments, with which I wholeheartedly concur, but let’s move onto more important matters: about this poetry...

8.04pm GMT

19 min The goal needs a goal. Or even a chance. Or even a corner. A throw-in would do. The crowd are quiet and the pace resembles that of a pre-season friendly.

8.02pm GMT

17 min Liverpool’s kids have been fine so far, with the right-back Camacho looking especially confident in possession.

8.00pm GMT

16 min “Evening Rob, and Happy New Year,” says Simon McMahon. “Just so we’re clear, there’s no one on the sports desk next to you in blackface, is there? Or ‘disorientated’ after mixing Baileys with sleeping tablets after all the festive liveblogging? Or waving at their pal with a straight arm and hand over their mouth for clarity? Footballers, eh? Bloody hell.”

I’m working at home, so I can’t really comment on the bacchinalian imperatives of those in the office. But I would just like to say that, whatever happens in the next two hours, somebody hacked into my Guardian account.

8.00pm GMT

15 min Milner is booked for a cynical tug on Jota. The game is yet to really get going.

7.56pm GMT

12 min Joao Moutinho belts a volley into orbit from long-range.

7.56pm GMT

11 min “Nature abhors a defensive vacuum,” says Jim Morrish, “so Hoever now on the pitch.”

7.56pm GMT

10 min Jota waves a nice pass with the outside of the foot to Jonny, whose shot from 25 yards takes a deflection and goes behind for the first corner. It flashes across the face of goal and away to safety.

7.54pm GMT

9 min Liverpool are getting into their stride after that false start. Keita beats Moutinho with a lovely stepover and slides a pass through the inside-left channel to Sturridge, who is debatably flagged offside.

7.53pm GMT

8 min Hoever has gone straight into the centre of defence alongside Fabinho. I’m not sure whether I mentioned this, but he’s 16!

7.51pm GMT

5 min Lovren is replaced by Ki-Jana Hoever, who was - and you’ll like this - born in 2002. My best years had already gone in 2002! At 16, he becomes the youngest Liverpool player ever to appear in the FA Cup.

7.49pm GMT

4 min Lovren is receiving treatment and I’d be surprised if he is able to continue. If he does go off, Liverpool will be down to one fit centre-half. Mind you, Virgil van Dijk could probably play on his own in a 1-0-9 formation and still keep a clean sheet.

7.48pm GMT

3 min An early blow for Wolves: Dejan Lovren appears to be struggling with injury.

7.45pm GMT

1 min Liverpool kick off from left to right. They are in red; Wolves are in the old gold.

7.44pm GMT

The match is preceded by a minute’s applause for Bill Slater, who died shortly before Christmas. He captained last Wolves team to win this competition, 59 years ago.

7.42pm GMT

“Apparently,” says Matt Dony, “Robbie Keane grew up dreaming about being a middling pundit in the furthest chair from the host.”

If you’re not in the UK, that will make no sense whatsoever, and I’m afraid I simply cannot be bothered to explain it.

7.40pm GMT

Pre-match interviews

Nuno Espirito Santo “Each game is a final. We have to do everything right against one of the best team. They have enough quality in their squad to always pick a strong XI; they are a fantastic team and they have strength on the bench.”

7.34pm GMT

“I’m fine with Liverpool losing this game,” says Annie Newton. “I’m fine with us fighting for the Champions League & Premier League trophy. We made it to three finals last year, didn’t win any, and it didn’t send me into a deep depression as much as missing out on the Premier League title did, very recently. I’m fine with Man City going to the end of this, especially if they can knock out Man Utd along the way. I’d only like us to get past this game if we could meet Man Utd before too long and make them kiss grass.”

I’m sensing a theme here.

7.26pm GMT

“Hi Rob,” writes Peter Oh. “With a couple of Liverpool benchmen likely getting a run out today, I am cautiously optimistic that the post-match headlines won’t include ‘Mignolet mauled at the Molineux’ or ‘Moreno razed by Wolves’.”

7.20pm GMT

Pre-match optimism

“I don’t expect Liverpool to win this,” writes Ian Copestake, “as the changes we will make will make us vulnerable to fate, the weight of FA history (and the shirt), and our own recent thrashing at the way more mentally strong City.”

7.02pm GMT

Adam Lallana, sad to say, will miss the game after suffering a minor injury in training yesterday. The poor bloke has been the ghost at the feast with Liverpool and England in the last year or so.

6.59pm GMT

Pre-match reading/listening/gostraightbelowthelining

Related: FA Cup shocks, the Blackpool boycott and dining issues – Football Weekly

Related: Jürgen Klopp believes Naby Keïta will improve as his confidence grows

Related: FA Cup: 10 talking points from the weekend's third-round action

6.54pm GMT

Wolves 5-9 Liverpool. That’s the number of changes each side has made from their last Premier League match. Wolves have picked a strong side, including Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Diogo Jota, Raul Jimenez and their usual back three.

Dejan Lovren and James Milner are Liverpool’s only survivors from the team that started the 2-1 defeat at Manchester City. It looks like Fabinho will play in defence, while Rafa Camacho and the exciting Curtis Jones will make their first-team debuts. Jurgen Klopp has a bit of insurance on the bench in case things go wrong.

3.58pm GMT

Wolves 4-7 Liverpool. That’s the score when it comes to FA Cup triumphs, but it’s been a while since either of these teams lifted the trophy: 59 years for Wolves, 13 for Liverpool, which is a hell of a lot more in dog years. We know both sides have bigger priorities this season, yet there is enough quality in their squads to suggest this should be an engaging, enjoyable game.

Bloody better be, because I’m missing the last episode of Britain’s Busiest Motorway for this.

Liverpool won 2-0 on this ground in the Premier League last month. The men whose goals secured that victory, Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk, are unlikely to trouble the scorers tonight, with both sides expected to make multiple changes from their usual Premier League XIs.

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Published on January 07, 2019 13:53
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