Liverpool sit top of the Premier League after beating Wolves 2-1, but have expectations of supporters now changed?
The Reds ground out a victory at Molineux on Saturday evening, thanks to Ibrahima Konate‘s header and Mohamed Salah‘s penalty.
It was far from a vintage Liverpool performance, but Arne Slot will accept the points, with his side now sitting top of the Premier League table.
Here, Henry Jackson (@HenryJackson87) and Dan Clubbe (@dan_clubbe) discuss the win and ponder whether expectations have now altered among the fanbase.
The good…
HENRY: Top of the league! Simple as that.
I was terrified all afternoon that Liverpool weren’t going to make the most of Man City dropping points, but as is often the case, I was wrong!
Let’s face it, the performance was pretty average but they ground it out like champions do.
Van Dijk is still the best defender in the world – I judge anyone who has a different opinion, frankly! – and he was superb.
Gravenberch was good again, too, and is such a nice player to watch, and Konate was great before he lost his head (more on that later!).
DAN: Three hard-earned points and winning ugly can be a good thing. They can’t all be zingers and this was anything but at times.
It’s a cliche, but finding ways to win when you’re not at your best can underpin a very successful side and this was proof that we have that ability.
Indecision for the goal notwithstanding, I agree with Henry that Ibou was superb in both boxes for almost the whole night.
He saved a pretty dire first-half display and produced some crucial interventions defensively when we needed them most.
Then there’s Gravenberch, who I also agree about. He barely misplaced a pass as he provided a press-resistance masterclass.
That slaloming run forward in the second half was a joy to behold.
The bad…
HENRY: Another slow start! What is going on there?
It happened under Klopp and now it’s occurring with Slot in charge, too. I really can’t put my finger on why it isn’t being addressed.
Week in, week out, these world-class footballers are spending the first 20 minutes of games performing like they they’re fresh off the back of six pints the night before!
Thankfully, Liverpool do have a great ability to grow into games, but they will come unstuck if it keeps happening.
Quite what Ibou was doing for Wolves‘ goal I have no idea, but he had a nightmare period afterwards where he got booked, gave the ball away cheaply and generally resembled Bjorn Tore Kvarme.
Wolves fans celebrating Jota’s yellow card like a goal was pretty embarrassing on their part, but I guess they need something to shout about!
DAN: Dom missing the gilt-edged chance in the first half when it looked easier to score was a low point. It almost sums up where things are at for him right now.
You can never doubt his off-the-ball commitment to the cause, but he is probably one of the few looking over their shoulder at those waiting in the wings.
As for the goal, it was a case of ‘after you, no after you’.
Someone (Ibou) has to take charge of that situation, concede the corner and deal with the consequences afterwards.
Doing nothing shouldn’t have been an option.
And have expectations now changed?
HENRY: I went into this season expecting third place and I haven’t changed my mind.
This is still a team developing under their new manager, while City and Arsenal are more polished teams currently.
To be top of the league going into October is fantastic, though, and there is no reason why we can’t stay in the race for most of the season.
I just wonder if they will be able to do it consistently across 38 games, especially as points are likely to be dropped sparingly by the other two.
Still, City look human without Rodri and Arsenal needed stoppage time to beat Leicester, so there are chinks in their armour.
I would still accept third and a deep run in the Champions League, but winning the title doesn’t feel impossible.
DAN: Like Henry, my expectations haven’t altered but perhaps my belief as to what is possible might be starting to.
News of dropped points elsewhere help, but above all else, hard-fought victories such as this one only boost the confidence ahead of a gruelling schedule on the horizon.
With our unrivalled options in attack, on top of Virg, Ibou, Grav, Mac and Alisson, you just never know…
