Liverpool’s 2-1 loss against Wolverhampton Wanderers was their ninth Premier League defeat of the season.
Steven Gerrard insisted that Virgil van Dijk had to be stronger in Liverpool’s failed attempt to prevent Wolverhampton Wanderers’ opening goal in the latest sobering defeat.
The Reds sank to a 2-1 loss against the Premier League’s basement side. Arne Slot’s side conceded a stoppage-time goal in the top flight for the seventh time this season, with Andre Trindade netting a 94th-minute winner.
Liverpool had been listless for much of the Molineux encounter. And despite barely being troubled, the Reds fell behind when Wolves registered their first real goalscoring opportunity, with Rodrigo Gomes dinking over visiting goalkeeper Alisson Becker in the 78th minute.
Slot’s men appeared to feel that Van Dijk had been pushed by Wolves’ Tolu Arokodare when challenging for a header, with the ball being worked to Rodrigo to break the deadlock. But former Liverpool captain Gerrard insisted that current Reds captain Van Dijk could have no complaints.
Gerrard said on TNT Sports: “I personally don’t think it’s a foul. I think he’s [Van Dijk] got to be a lot stronger in that situation. I also think that [Ibrahima] Konate could have bailed him out of trouble
“You are clutching at straws asking for a foul there. You are up against a big strong sub who has come off the bench. He’s the focal point, you know he’s going to be physical and try to dominate you from a physical perspective. You’ve got to be ready for that. You've got to stand up and be stronger. I think he'll be slightly disappointed in himself when he watches that back.”
Liverpool’s performance was largely toothless throughout the Wolves encounter. Although there were some improvements in the second half, the Reds did not create a meaningful chance until Mo Salah equalised in the 83rd minute. But Slot’s troops showed the vulnerability to conceding in the dying embers yet again, with Andre Trindade’s 94th-minute deflected shot condemning Liverpool to a ninth Premier League loss in their insipid title defence.
Van Dijk claimed that the Reds’ performance was ‘slow and predictable’ which Gerrard agreed with. “He’s right,” said the Kop icon. “For 65 minutes, Liverpool were desperate tonight and really poor. They didn't create enough, they didn't play at the right speed or the right tempo. They didn't have enough quality.”
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