When Andre’s shot deflected off Joe Gomez and over Alisson Becker it was unlucky for Arne Slot’s side. But given that this is a record-breaking fifth winning goal conceded by Liverpool during stoppage time this season, it is no mere coincidence.
Crystal Palace and Chelsea beat them this way – and by the same scoreline – early in the season. Bournemouth won it in the 95th minute in January. Manchester City’s penalty did for them last month. Now, bottom club Wolves have joined the list.
“That it happens in extra time might be a coincidence, maybe, although it happens so many times,” said Arne Slot. No team has ever lost this many Premier League games so late – and that does not include the stoppage-time equalisers at Fulham and Leeds.
The problem for Liverpool is not that they are unusually bad at defending once the clock ticks past 90, it is that they find themselves in these situations more times than they should. That was the case at the start of the season when they were winning.
Each of Liverpool’s first four games this season were won after the 83rd minute. Back then, it was called the mark of champions. Now, it can be seen as part of the same trend. Liverpool games are in the balance for far too long for them to get away with it.
Opponents play in a low defensive block and they wait. When they beat Burnley thanks to a stoppage-time penalty from Mohamed Salah in September, Slot said: “If we had scored the game may have been open but because we didn’t, they did the same thing.”
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from the Premier League clash between Wolves and Liverpool
For Wolves head coach Rob Edwards, that was the plan. “We wanted to be in the game,” he explained afterwards. “We felt we could improve.” And not just because of what his team would do. “More pressure on the opponent, they start to open up, more spaces.”
Slot insisted that Liverpool had been solid enough defensively. “We hardly give away a chance. Today we gave away one chance, we conceded two goals.” While it is true that Alisson made only one save in the match, Slot’s comments do not tell the whole story.
Liverpool’s performance was as chaotic after going behind as it had been insipid in the first half. All shape was lost as they chased the game in desperation. The winner was cruel on Gomez but there were opportunities for Wolves to punish them before that.
Wolves running at the Liverpool defence in a five-on-three situation late in the game
In the 88th minute, Andre had been running at the Liverpool back line in a five-on-three situation. After 91 minutes, Joao Gomes was running through and picked the wrong option. Andre was charging forward with support in another attack just prior to his goal.
It is natural that Liverpool push for victory late on given their ambitions. But how do they avoid finding themselves in a position where these risks are necessary and they are exposed? Not wasting the entire first half as they did at Molineux would be a start.
“From open play, we struggle to score,” said Slot. “Today, again, we had a lot of set-pieces. First half, very poor taking. A bit similar to how we played. I don’t think we played a very good first half.” That too has been a regular feature of Liverpool’s performances.
They rank eighth in the Premier League for expected goals in the first half of games so far this season, the lowest that they have ranked on that metric since before Jurgen Klopp took charge over a decade ago. In the provisional half-time table, they are ninth.
Their rivals also face low blocks most weeks and deal with it more convincingly. Manchester City, for example, have 64 points in that half-time table to their 39. Liverpool’s average goal time is later than anyone else’s. Something is awry from the start.
‘Slow, predictable and sloppy’
Virgil van Dijk has an idea. “It is down to ourselves. We were slow, we were predictable and sloppy in possession and wrong with decision-making. Obviously, we did not concede chances, but if you perform like that then a result like this could be the result.”
When these comments were put to Slot by Sky Sports in the press conference after the game, the Liverpool boss revealed that he had told his players much the same at half-time. “I told them it was possible to play a bit faster from side to side,” he explained.
“If you play a bit faster than the few times we did in the first half, our wingers at least have some time to take their full-back on. I think that happened in the second half better than the first half, that is why we also came closer and closer than the first half.”
Key difference from last season
It was not always an issue for Liverpool, the reigning champions, of course. Last season, it was completely different. They won lots of games early. In fact, they led 14 of their 38 Premier League games by two goals or more going into the 85th minute.
This season, they have achieved that only four times. Last season, they had done it four times by mid-September. They were three up inside an hour in two of those games. The weekend game against West Ham was the very first time all season that has happened.
“We have far more ball possession than the other team. We have created more open play and general chances than the other team, argued Slot. But he knows the truth. “If we don’t want to rely on a deflected shot, we need to do better, we have to play better.”
Because bad things can happen. When Liverpool leave it so late to win, they are always going to be vulnerable to losing. The defeat to Wolves was a product of their sluggishness. It has undermined their title defence. It could yet deny them Champions League football.
