Facing imminent relegation, Wolves' nothing-to-lose mentality sparked a revival, securing four points in two home matches against Arsenal and Aston Villa.

Just five days prior, coach Rob Edwards had raced down the touchline, pulling a calf muscle while celebrating Wolves' second goal in a victory over rivals Aston Villa. This time, he erupted with emotion in the sixth minute of second-half added time, as Andre's deflected shot downed Liverpool. On the opposing sideline, Arne Slot was stunned as Liverpool were defeated by the bottom-ranked team.

Liverpool players disappointed after conceding a late goal against Wolves at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England on 3/3. Photo: Reuters

Determined to avoid becoming Wolves' next high-profile victim, Liverpool started positively. Cody Gakpo tried his luck early with a long-range shot but it was easily saved by Jose Sa. Liverpool continued to push forward seeking the opening goal, yet Jeremie Frimpong shot over the bar after a burst of pace and pass from Hugo Ekitike.

The home side understood the situation and were content to sit deep and absorb pressure, neutralizing Liverpool's attack easily in the first half. Rob Edwards' team failed to register a single shot before halftime, while Liverpool managed only two shots on target in the opening half.

The most poignant moment of the match arrived in the 18th minute, when fans from both sides applauded and chanted the name of Diogo Jota, who wore the number 18 shirt for three years at Molineux before moving to Liverpool. This was the first time the two teams met here since his passing last summer.

Early in the second half, Arne Slot's players appealed for a penalty when Frimpong's cross appeared to strike Ladislav Krejci's hand before going out of play, but the referee waved it away. From the ensuing corner, the visitors nearly broke the deadlock. Ekitike headed on from Mohamed Salah's corner, towards Curtis Jones, but Cody Gakpo inadvertently cleared the ball away from his teammate before it hit the crossbar. Later, Ekitike dribbled at pace down the right wing and delivered a cross, but Krejci made an interception with Alexis Mac Allister waiting to pounce.

Late in the game, a counter-attack erupted the stadium. Tolu Arokodare outmuscled Virgil van Dijk to receive a long ball, before threading a pass to Rodrigo Gomes, who chipped over Alisson, giving Wolves the lead in the 78th minute.

Rio Ngumoha then nearly equalized when his deflected shot was tipped onto the post by Sa. However, Liverpool's equalizer arrived in the 83rd minute, courtesy of Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian intercepted Jean-Ricner Bellegarde's cross-field pass and poked the ball past Sa, scoring his first premier league goal since November.

Liverpool pushed hard for a winner in added time, but it was the home side who sealed the victory. Andre's shot in the fourth minute of added time took a deflection off Joe Gomez, securing three points for the hosts.

Wolves are still 11 points adrift of 17th place, but victories like this keep their survival hopes alive. Meanwhile, Liverpool missed an opportunity to climb into the premier league top 4. The 1-2 defeat means they remain three points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.

Vy Anh