Liverpool Host Wolves Looking To Bounce Back From Derby Draw | OneFootball

Liverpool vs Wolves – Premier League Preview

Date – 16th February 2025

Venue – Anfield

Kick-off – 14.00

After a disappointing 2-2 draw at Goodison Park on Wednesday evening, Liverpool will remain on Merseyside for their next match as Wolves travel to Anfield for this weekend’s Premier League encounter. The horrendous officiating that allowed Everton to grab a point in midweek was coupled with red cards being delivered to both Curtis Jones (two yellow cards) and Arne Slot, as the post-match melee created mass drama. This Sunday gives the Reds the chance to solidify their lead at the top of the table, as Arsenal will likely overcome Leicester City in their away match and close the gap between themselves and Liverpool to four points.

Wolves Availability

Wolves manager Vítor Pereira will be without several key players: Yerson Mosquera, Enso Gonzalez Medina, Sasa Kalajdzic, Jorgen Strand Larsen, Leon Chiwone, Hee-Chan Hwang, are all out whereas Boubacar Traore is a doubt.

In terms of recent form, Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Blackburn Rovers 0-2 in the FA Cup fourth round, as they successfully overcame their trip to Ewood Park. Concerning Wolves’ league form, an impressive home win over Aston Villa preceded their cup win as they beat Unai Emery’s men 2-0. A 0-1 loss at home to Arsenal and a 3-1 defeat at Chelsea came before that good run of results.

After 24 matches in the top tier, 19 points have been accumulated leading to a 17th place standing in the current table for the visiting club.

The predicted lineup for Wolves, using a 3-4-3 formation, is as follows:

GK – José Sá

RWB – Nélson Semedo

RCB – Matt Doherty

CB – Craig Dawson

LCB – Toti Gomes

LWB – Rayan Aït-Nouri

CM – André

CM – Jean-Ricner Bellegarde

RM – Pablo Sarabia

CF – Gonçalo Guedes

LM – Matheus Cunha

Liverpool Availability

Liverpool will be without Joe Gomez who has sustained a hamstring injury, one that could keep him sidelined for much of the remainder of the season. Curtis Jones will serve his one-game ban after receiving two yellow cards on Wednesday, which saw him dismissed after the game against Everton. Cody Gakpo is a doubt for this game.

Before the 2-2 draw at Everton, the Reds much rotated team lost 1-0 away to Plymouth, as they crashed out of the FA Cup. That loss came after a 4-0 at home to Spurs, as they created a 4-1 aggregate scoreline in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final. With 24 matches played, Liverpool currently tops the Premier League standings with an impressive 57 points.

Here is the expected lineup that Arne Slot will field for this home match against a decent Wolves team. Dominik Szoboszlai will again be vital in creating pressure and power beyond the opposition midfield, whereas the potency of Diogo Jota may be called upon to bring a cutting edge to the central striking position. Darwin Núñez may get the call if Jota is deemed just shy of match fitness.

– GK: Alisson Becker

– RB: Trent Alexander Arnold

– RCB: Ibrahima Konaté

– LCB: Virgil van Dijk (c)

– LB: Kostas Tsimikas

– CM: Ryan Gravenberch

– ACM: Dominik Szoboszlai

– CM: Alexis Mac Allister

– RF: Mohamed Salah

– CF: Darwin Núñez

– LF: Luis Díaz

How Will This Contest Play Out?

Liverpool will be expected to use the game to increase their lead at the top of the table and vanquish the disheartening last match. Matheus Cunha and Rayan Aït-Nouri represent the biggest threat to the hosts with their superb levels of play making the pair genuine targets for the Anfield giants in the summer.

Player to Watch: Dominik Szoboszlai

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction:

Liverpool 2 – 0 Wolves