Rivals will need something extraordinary to stop Liverpool: national media reacts to Wolves win

Liverpool marked the return of Reds supporters to Anfield with a commanding 4-0 win over Wolves to get back to the point level with leader Tottenham atop the Premier League table.

Mohamed Salah’s first goal was followed by more goals from Gini Wijnaldum, Joel Matip and an own goal by Nelson Semedo as the 2,000 lucky Liverpool fans watched Jurgen Klopp’s team in person since they were crowned champions and enjoyed one of the best performances since the title returned in the summer for the first time since 1990.

Much had been said and written beforehand about the impact that the return of the fans could have on the Reds and the emotional occasion seemed to bring out the best in them and sent a warning to those looking to take the national crown.

The national media and other publications had a lot to say about the party, and here is a summary of the reaction …

“Liverpool’s most comprehensive display since winning the title”

Dominic King of the Daily Mail wrote:

Liverpool is a city that prides itself on finding the right song for the right occasion, and at 8pm on Sunday night it again proved the case.

Edwin Hawkins Singers’ Oh Happy Day was Anfield DJ’s record of choice and those three words captured the mood. As fans returned to this stadium for the first time since March 11, 39 long weeks ago, the team they idolize held an exhibition befitting their status.

Those at The Kop had come to see the champions and were treated to possibly Liverpool’s most comprehensive display since their 30-year wait to lift the title ended. On paper, wolves appeared to have primary nuisance value, but the reality was totally different.

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are having good seasons and are teams with great potential; Manchester City are getting on the move too, and it would be foolish to think that they won’t be heavily involved in the spring crown race.

But don’t be under any illusions that Liverpool set an incredibly high benchmark. Jurgen Klopp may feel that his team is underdog for the title but, with great respect for the German, he is not fooling anyone, certainly anyone inside Anfield.

It didn’t matter how many were inside, the only thing that mattered was the fact that they were inside. You could hear the chants in Stanley Park 45 minutes before kickoff, and at first, they were ready to start the inner excitement. the stadium was clear.

There have been more grandiose occasions, but this was heartwarming and you knew that with Klopp there was no chance his team was ill-prepared – his record of getting wins when they are needed most is exemplary and he was in no mood for his players to disappoint them. nobody.

You knew instantly that it would take something extraordinary to stop Liverpool. They may not have created too many opportunities before the break, but it was the way they controlled the game that defined them as they turned a vice and squeezed the life out of the Wolves.

To make an analogy, it was the equivalent of a boxer being thrown into the corner and having no response to the constant flurry of punches that kept raining down from a relentless opponent trying to make a statement.

“There was a more pronounced sense of occasion and purpose than just trying to score three points.”

Melissa Reddy from the Independent wrote:

Jurgen Klopp could hear him before exiting the tunnel and exiting with a beaming smile, his right arm pounding his heart before greeting the faces he had been desperate to see.

Liverpool had been exhausted for their warm-up against the Wolves against a backdrop of applause, shouts of “let’s go!” and, in some cases, tears.

After 269 days, a fanless stint at Anfield ended with 1,500 of them in the Kop and 500 in the main stand.

It was exciting for the fans to be back and for the team to have them back, albeit in such a limited dose.

There was feeling on the ground again, there was a feeling of occasion, and the purpose was more pronounced than trying to score three points. What happened mattered more.

‘Bring on the champions’ dominated the pre-match soundtrack and there was a thunderous rendition of You will never walk alone before loud applause for the players kneeling.

Every successful tackle, header and pass was roar, there were appeals for everything.

A correct use of VAR and an emotional reaction from fans to everything felt like pure fantasy after the cold reality of the last few months.

The last time fans leaked into this field on March 11 for the European Cup exit at the hands of Atlético de Madrid, they shouldn’t have been here given the broader context of what was happening in the world.

Now, there is no other place for them. They saw the best of England in person for the first time since a 30-year wait for the title ended, making football feel more like the game we love and not the version we’ve had to live with recently.

“Klopp’s men are too obsessed with getting a twentieth title to enjoy the memories of 19”

Chris Bascombe of the Telegraph wrote:

If there is a consolation, albeit little, for Liverpool to become champions in the running of the bulls, it is this: Anfield’s title celebrations have only just begun, let alone have ended yet.

Attendees received an emphatic victory and performance over the Wolves as the start of the victory parade that never was. By the time Nelson Semedo had gotten into his own net for Liverpool’s fourth, there was a party atmosphere inside this stadium.

Jurgen Klopp and his players will never see the next few months reconnect with their fans that way, of course. They’re too obsessed with landing a twentieth title instead of enjoying the memories of the 19th. The joy for Klopp is the mutual benefits on his side feeling the thrill of delayed gratification from The Kop.

On those occasions when Liverpool attacked, and they were frequent in a high-level performance, it could have been mistaken for thinking that The Kop was full.

Here no one could fail to notice the extra strut in the step of the Liverpool players when they beat a good rival, goals from Mohamed Salah, Gini Wijnaldum and Joel Matip confirming the abyss before Semedo’s misfortune.

The tantalizing prospect of Klopp, José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola vying for this year’s title seems real. Liverpool seem to be in the mood to let The Kop savor their latest championship by inspiring Klopp to another.

“The Klopp team delivered a performance that provided a clinical demonstration of their quality”

Paul Joyce of the Times wrote:

It was 7.06 in the afternoon when, after 269 days of waiting, those supporters who were lucky enough to be in the Kop shouted the song that had been in the works for three decades.

“Bring in the champions” echoed as Anfield really came to life, the simple demand followed by the rhythmic boast of “champions, champions, champions.” Jürgen Klopp’s team proceeded to deliver a performance that provided a clinical demonstration of its quality.

“If no one is injured, it is the perfect night,” the Liverpool manager later said. “Whatever the weather outside, it’s sunny inside the stadium.”

So much attention has been paid to what Liverpool do not currently have, given their extensive absentee list, that the brilliance they continue to have can be overlooked.

The excellent finishes of Mohamed Salah, Georginio Wijnaldum and Joël Matip each elicited throaty roars from the 2,000 fans allowed inside, but there was also pleasure in the maturity of teenage Curtis Jones and the relentless Andrew Robertson.

Wolverhampton Wanderers got off to a brilliant start, but faded and succumbed to their toughest loss to Liverpool since 1968 when Nélson Semedo scored his own goal for the fourth. Nuno Espírito Santo left with much to reflect.