Liverpool 2-2 Wolves
by James Nalton
at Anfield

DEFENDING FA Cup champions Liverpool remain in this season’s tournament despite another unconvincing showing at Anfield. 

Opponents Wolverhampton Wanderers can feel aggrieved not to have progressed, and this tie now goes to a replay at Molineux.

Though their two goals came via Liverpool mistakes, Wolves were the stronger side on the day despite fielding a rotated team.

They also had a potentially winning goal controversially disallowed for offside.

A stray pass from Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson presented Goncalo Guedes with the opener before Darwin Nunez executed a brilliant left-footed volley from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s pass just before half-time.

Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool the lead early in the second half.

Though he was in an offside position when new signing Cody Gakpo played the ball into the box, an intervention from Wolves defender Toti made Salah onside again, and he finished coolly past Matija Sarkic.

It was an unlucky intervention of the laws of the game for Wolves, as Toti only attempted to clear in the manner he did because of the presence of the then-offside Salah.

The later offside decision on their own goal was even harsher.

The linesman raised his flag as the ball found its way back to Matheus Nunes following a corner he had taken.

No VAR angle was available to check for sure, but still images suggest he might have been onside.

Wolves had equalised via Hwang Hee Chan after the ball deflected in off him as Ibrahima Konate tried to deal with the situation, but manager Julain Lopategui felt they deserved the win.

He was yellow-carded for his protests following the disallowed goal as his analysts had an angle of the goal that appeared to show Nunes onside.

Regardless of the controversy, it was another good showing from Wolves under Lopategui, and another poor one for Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp.

Cup runs can be seen as a distraction for a side like Wolves in a league relegation battle, but this game was more a demonstration they are on the right path to safety.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have plenty of work to do to meet their own expectations of a top-four finish and also offer some kind of defence of one of the two domestic cup competitions they won last season. 

They are already out of the EFL Cup and were almost out of the FA Cup too. Any idea of any kind of success for them this season is now hanging by a thread.