The chance of silverware is at an all-time high if Wednesday’s fixture is anything to go by, after Jurgen Klopp’s side demolished West Ham 5-1 on the way to last year’s trophy triumph, the Reds repeated the same feat, beating Julen Lopetegui Irons with the exact same scoreline this team round.
Attacking duo Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo were both at the double this time round as Liverpool began their Carabao Cup defence in fine fashion, essentially capping off a successful week after defeating Bournemouth 3-0 in the most recent Premier League game week.
Having also come out victorious in their midweek Champions League fixture against AC Milan, the Reds have now recorded three consecutive wins and currently find themselves sitting one point behind the impressive Manchester City.
Saturday’s evening kick-off sees the top flight’s strongest defence against one of the weakest defences as Wolves comes into the fixture having conceded 14 goals, ultimately leaving them joint with Everton for the most conceded in the league so far.
Last week, Gary O’Neil’s men were in control for 70 minutes after Matheus Cunha’s opener, but a late hiatus from the Villains saw Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, and Jhon Duran turn the West Midlands affair upside down.
September wasn’t successful for Wolves in the slightest after being beaten by Newcastle and Aston Villa in the league and Brighton in the EFL Cup, meaning they haven't managed to win a game so far in the Premier League.
Scoring goals is not where the problem lies for O’Neil’s side, though, as they have managed to score in each of their last six games, but at the other end, their 17 games without a clean sheet have alarm bells ringing for the Wolves faithful.
The hosts will go into the game with the thought of making history hanging over them – unwanted history, that is – becoming the first team to lose three games in a row when leading at halftime.
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Team News
Against Villa last weekend, the Columbian defender Yerson Mosquera picked up an injury which was confirmed to be a significant knee injury, potentially leaving him unavailable for the remainder of the season.
That makes Mosquera one of five players unavailable due to knee injuries alongside Sasa Kalajdzic, Enso Gonzalez, Bastien Meupiyou and Boubacar Traore, but O’Neil will be fortunate enough to welcome back Toti Gomes, but chances are the gaffer will most likely opt for Santiago Bueno and veteran defender Craig Dawson rather than rushing him back into the starting XI.
Former Liverpool target Rayan Ait-Nouri managed to play the full 90 against Villa after there were some fitness concerns beforehand, but with that being said, he is one yellow away from suspension.
For the second game in a row, Slot was unable to call upon the Brazillian stopper Alisson Becker due to a muscular injury, but the manager has confirmed that he will be in the squad for the upcoming game.
Consequently, Caoimhin Kelleher could be replaced despite playing a big part in Liverpool’s last two games. The only other injury news is Harvey Elliot, who remains sidelined with his foot fracture reportedly until October.
The Dutch coach will most likely make a wholesale of changes from the EFL Cup massacre against West Ham, although Diogo Jota only played 59 minutes whilst Darwin Nunez played the full 90, suggesting that the Portuguese may start on Saturday.
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Potential Starting Lineups
Wolves (4-3-3)
Johnstone; Semedo, Dawson, Gomes, Ait-Nouri; Andre, Gomes, Lemina; Cunha, Larsen, Bellegarde.
Liverpool (4-2-3-1)
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Diaz; Jota
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Key Players
Wolves: Matheus Cunha
With Wolves sitting at the foot of the league going into this game, it is hard to pinpoint a key player, but Matheus Cunha is the man that the Wolves faithful will look to if they hope to cause an upset.
Having scored 12 in the league last year with seven assists to add to that, it looked like Wolves finally found their Raul Jiminez replacement in the Brazilian.
Having opened the scoring last week, O’Neil will be hoping to add to that goal with the hopes of guiding his team to their first win of the season.
Liverpool: Luis Diaz
Throughout the season, people would have pinpointed Mohamed Salah as the Red’s go-to man, but Luis Diaz looks like a man trying to prove a point.
Last season, the Columbian managed to score eight goals in 37 appearances for the Reds, but this year, Diaz has scored five in six games, ultimately leaving him three goals behind tally from last year’s tally with 26 games yet to play.
It’s not even only goals that have set him apart from his peers this season. The fear he instils within the defence with the ball at his feet is quite frankly frightening. Let the Bournemouth game be an example, not only did he score two goals against the Cherries, but he tormented that defence for the entirety of his time on the pitch.
Although the Reds attack has been firing on all cylinders, based on his previous showings, Diaz is the man to look out for throughout this fixture.
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Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The fixture is set to take place at the Molineux Stadium, the home of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
What time is kick-off?
The game is set to kick off at 17:30 BST on the 28th of September, 2024.
How can I watch it?
The game will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event or can be streamed via the Sky Go app on any device.
