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Liverpool celebrated the fans’ return to Anfield with a comfortable 4-0 win over Wolves with Cork’s Caoimhín Kelleher keeping a clean sheet on his Premier League debut.
This was the first time the 2,000 on-field fans saw the Reds in person since their 30-year title wait ended in the summer and they didn’t go home disappointed.
Goals by Mohamed Salah – whose 84 in the Premier League equaled Cristiano Ronaldo’s number – Georginio Wijnaldum, Joel Matip and an own goal by Nelson Semedo put Jurgen Klopp’s side tied on points with leaders Tottenham.
FULL MATCH DETAILS
There was even the added bonus of seeing Trent Alexander-Arnold and Naby Keita return from injury.
Conor Coady, however, had a rare day off for him, which started when he made a mistake in the crucial first match and was later called cheating by local fans after appearing to be diving for a penalty, which, while successful, it was later canceled by the VAR. .
With the Kop with 1500 fans and the Main Stand 500, the atmosphere was lively.
However, the loudest cheering was reserved for Liverpool’s first game in the 24th minute, even if it came from a mistake by one of their own.
Coady, a Liverpool academy graduate and Reds fan, tried to control Jordan Henderson’s ball over his chest when he required a header and the ball bounced far enough for Salah to step in and shoot home his first goal in four games. .
The Wolves defender buried his head in his jersey. He should have been repeating the feat at the other end at the edge of halftime when referee Craig Pawson awarded a penalty after the central defender went down after Sadio Mane’s punt attempt.
Liverpool players were outraged, prompting chants of “cheat” from the Kop, and after VAR official Jon Moss observed the incident and advised checking the court monitor, Pawson annulled the penalty when he saw there was no contact. .
Coady escaped without a warning for diving, but without censorship from her once-beloved Kop, who continued to question her honesty.
Klopp’s team went up a gear after the break, but the game’s best play did not bring the second goal when Salah’s 40-yard diagonal landed on the toes of Andy Robertson, whose first shot was deflected by Mane.
But the goal was not long in coming with Henderson again as the provider, launching a quick counterattack down the middle that took out Wijnaldum who, with Mane and Salah to back up, left alone and found the upper left corner of Rui Patricio.
Perhaps the biggest celebration of the night came from Matip in the 68th minute, heading home on a cross pass from Salah four yards before reacting wildly in front of the Kop.
And when the “Goleador Mane” line disappeared from the “Merry Christmas Everton” song, it seemed the Senegalese international responded with impeccable timing by placing an Alexander-Arnold cross, but Wolves defender Semedo had the touch. final.
Kelleher made his Premier League debut just five days after his first European start and enjoyed another clean sheet.
It was another confident performance by the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international in the absence of Alisson Becker, and his best save was watching him throw Daniel Podence’s chip curling around a pole to its full extent.
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