At the beginning of the season, Liverpool would have been quietly confident of going one better than they did last year and lifting the Premier League trophy again.
However, their season has transpired as anything but good. Following several severe shocks, their title quest is almost certainly finished, halfway through the season.
It has been an unexpected season for the Reds. They will be hoping the second half of the season develops into a much better part of the campaign than the first half.
Surprise frontrunners Arsenal are now the favourites for this year’s league title, with Manchester City hot on their heels. Even the best betting apps wouldn’t have had Arsenal near the top two teams this season but they surpassed everyone’s expectations.
With Jurgen Klopp’s team at a critical crossroads, they’ll be looking to take all three points against Wolves. Despite Liverpool’s poor performance this season, Wolves are a considerably worse outfit.
Liverpool will be hoping to try and piece together a late rally this season and make a push for the top four. Although the title may be out of reach for the Reds, the battle is on to try and redeem some of the lost ground and finish in the Champions League qualification positions.
The goal for Wolves isn’t as lofty as Liverpool’s ambition. The Midlands club find themselves two points off the bottom of the table, in danger of sliding into trouble and out of the league entirely.
Given that they have already replaced one manager this season, they will be hopeful they can put together a string of good form and get themselves midtable. So today, we will look at the upcoming match and give our prediction.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Starting with the away team, Julen Lopetegui will be hoping to steer Wolves out of danger. One of the positives they can look at is that about six different teams could all get relegated.
Even though there are some sharp-looking teams at the top of the division, conversely, there are a number of poorly managed teams.
Many Wolves fans will look at the table and consider their team better than at least three of the clubs languishing toward the bottom of the table.
However, Everton is looking to climb out of their mess by appointing a proven manager like Sean Dyche, who could help send other teams into the abyss.
Wolves will be eager to keep themselves from getting sucked into this and avoiding defeat at Anfield could give them the confidence and drive to kick on and head out of trouble.
This will be the third time the two clubs have faced off against each other in a month, and with both games very close, Wolves should go into this crunch encounter with some confidence.
Liverpool came out victorious in mid-January in an FA Cup tie. Even though Manchester City comprehensively beat Wolves in their last game, they didn’t look out of their depth against the reigning champions.
Compared to previous seasons, Liverpool is not the force that will be challenging for league honours this season.
Nevertheless, Lopetegui will be quietly confident that his team could travel to Anfield and put in a competitive performance – similar to the one in the FA Cup third-round tie.
Wolves have brought in new faces, hoping to provide strength and consistency to their squad. They should have enough to avoid the drop but it is uncertain times at Molineux.
Liverpool
The Reds have a bit of a reality check this year. Given the level they have operated on for the last three years, their season has come as a shock for Liverpool fans and football analysts.
August 2022 seems like a lifetime ago now for Liverpool fans. When record signing Darwin Núñez was brought in, expectations were huge. When they dismantled Man City in the Community Shield at the inception of the season’s campaign, spirits were high.
Following a shaky start away against Fulham, a home draw to Crystal Palace and a defeat to Manchester United, it was evident early on that this team were either showing signs of fatigue or severe deterioration.
The Reds have lost to several weaker teams, struggled against seriously low-quality opposition like Everton, and lost against teams battling relegation, such as Nottingham Forest.
It has been a sobering season, to say the least, for Jurgen Klopp. With the team’s best players heading into the latter stages of their careers, we could be seeing the end of their dominance.
Could this be the end of his legendary tenure as Liverpool boss? Given that he has done so well since 2016, he will likely be given more time, but 12 months ago, he looked invincible in this position.
Given their dire performances so far in this campaign, he will have to turn the tide quickly.
Match prediction
With both teams looking like they are in the position of operating at full strength for this game, many pundits and experts are picking Liverpool for this one.
Liverpool is having a disastrous season by their own standards. However, it would still be challenging for Wolves to come away from Anfield with all three points.
Wolves don’t have a good record at Anfield and they’ll be looking to put in a good performance. However, it’s still a gigantic task. This Liverpool team was a whisker away from winning all four trophies just eight months ago.
Even though Real Madrid defeated them, Liverpool was unlucky to take the game into extra time. However, the team this season is a shadow of last season’s gritty, ferocious and relentless squad, which was so close to beating Man City to the title.
Liverpool should have too much, especially going forward. Although record-signing Darwin Núñez has struggled and has been criticised, his stats are not as bad as some people have made out.
With notable changes to the Liverpool squad, they may still need time to gel, but time is running out this year for the Reds to have a campaign that won’t be considered a serious failure.
There has been some inconsistency in individuals’ performances. However, the same can be said of the entire team, which is why they’re far behind the leaders this season.
Conclusion
This game could play a pivotal role in the direction of both teams’ seasons. With Wolves hoping to escape the drop and avoid being pulled into a relegation battle, a positive result at Anfield could be the catalyst that galvanises their team.
Likewise, if Liverpool can get a resounding win at this game and start stringing together a few wins outside of the top two, it is relatively close. So, there is still everything to play for regarding Champions League qualification.
With surprise gatecrashers like Arsenal and Newcastle taking up the top four, some analysts have predicted they may not have the experience to maintain their consistency throughout the season.
Betting against Newcastle or Arsenal to finish in the top four this season would be a bold move. Other outsiders that are looking sharp include Brighton and Manchester United. However, this campaign still has a long way to go, and both teams have a lot to play for over the next few months.
