FA Cup: Liverpool edge out Wolves, qualify for fourth round

FA Cup defending champion Liverpool have progressed to the fourth round of the English FA club after they beat Wolves 1-0 in a third-round replay at the Molineux Stadium on Tuesday night.

It was a much-needed win for Jurgen Klopp and his team after the ignominy of losing 3-0 to Brighton last Saturday and coming into Tuesday’s encounter without a win in their last three matches.

The third round went into a replay because of the 2-2 result from January 7 where Wolves believe the referees unjustifiably denied them a winner in the last minute of that encounter but Julen Lopetegui’s team would have no complaints about Elliot’s thunderbolt that decided Tuesday’s encounter.

Klopp changed the team that was beaten at Brighton. Fabio Carvalho, Elliot, Kostas Tsimikas, Joe Gomez, James Milner, Stefan Bajcetic, and Naby Keita came into the team and they had legs all over midfield as Klopp rested Mohamed Salah.

Wolves began well to complement and could have gone ahead through Rayan Ait-Nouri in the 12th minute and from the resulting counter, Elliot took the ball from the halfway line and ran at the Wolves’ defence, and seeing Jose Sa off his line, unleashed a shot that soared into the net.

Three minutes later, Liverpool could have doubled their lead, but Tsimikas’ shot went just over the crossbar.

Liverpool continued to push for a second goal, but Cody Gakpo missed a couple of half chances. Carvalho thought he had the second goal, but the assistant referee ruled out the striker’s attempt as being offside.

Five minutes into the second half, Ait-Nourii failed to get an equaliser, as James Milner blocked the cross for a corner kick.

Jose Sa failed to get his block on Gakpo’s one-on-one attempt. However, the attempt was ruled out as offside by the assistant referee in the 63rd minute.

With 20 minutes left in the game, Wolves were yet to get a shot on target against Liverpool. However, three minutes later, Ruben Neves’ free kick was slightly above Liverpool’s goalpost.

The hosts then got desperate in the last 10 minutes of the game as they sought an equaliser. First, Jimenez attacked Traore’s cross, and then Caoimhin Kelleher saved Ait-Nouri’s cross.

Diego Costa’s introduction gave the hosts some more fire in attack. In the additional five minutes, Kelleher was called to action and saved a goal-bound header from substitute Matheus Nunes.

Liverpool weathered the Wolves’ storm and are through to the fourth round.