Liverpool will look to book their place in the FA fourth round with a win over Wolves at Anfield on Saturday night.
Liverpool come into the game against Wolves on the back of a 3-1 defeat to Brentford in the Premier League. And they will be desperate to bounce back with a win here. The home fans will be expecting a reaction from the players. And it remains to be seen whether the Reds can grind out a comprehensive victory at Anfield.
Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers come into this game on the back of a draw against Aston Villa, and they will look to pull off an upset here. The away side will be fully aware of Liverpool’s inconsistencies this season, and they will fancy their chances of getting something out of this contest.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is expected to rotate his squad and rest some of his key players with the upcoming fixtures in mind. This could be a golden opportunity for Wolves to pick up a morale-boosting win over Liverpool at a crucial stage of the season.
The Merseyside outfit managed to win the FA Cup last season, and they will be hoping to defend their crown this year. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
We return to FA Cup action at Anfield this weekend 🏟 pic.twitter.com/uw4cuvkLU3
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 4, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Liverpool
Liverpool will be without the services of Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Arthur Melo because of injuries. Defender Virgil Van Dijk picked up a hamstring injury in his last outing and he is set to be sidelined for a few weeks. However, Liverpool will benefit from the return of Jordan Henderson, who missed the last game because of a concussion. Roberto Firmino will likely return as well.
Virgil van Dijk is set to be sidelined 'for a few weeks' due to injury, Jürgen Klopp confirmed.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 6, 2023
Jurgen Klopp is set to hand Caoimhin Kelleher a start here. The young shot-stopper has been Liverpool’s preferred choice in the cup competitions, and he helped the Reds win the League Cup and FA Cup last season.
In the defence, Calvin Ramsay could be handed a start here as the right-back, and Kostas Tsimikas should line up as the left-back. Nathaniel Phillips and Joe Gomez are likely to partner with each other at the heart of the defence. In the midfield, Naby Keita and Curtis Jones are expected to start, with club captain Jordan Henderson anchoring the midfield.
January signing Cody Gakpo is likely to be handed his Liverpool debut here. The Dutchman is expected to lead the line for the Reds, with Fabio Carvalho and Mohamed Salah either side of him in a front three.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kelleher; Ramsay, Phillips, Gomez, Tsimikas; Keita, Henderson, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Carvalho
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers will be without the services of Chiquinho, Pedro Neto, and Sasa Kalajdzic, who are ruled out with injuries. Julen Lopetegui is expected to line up his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Jose Sa in goal.
Nelson Semedo and Hugo Bueno are expected to start as the full-backs, and Nathan Collins will partner with Maximilian Kilman at the heart of the defence. Ruben Neves is set to partner Matheus Nunes, who has recently emerged as a target for Liverpool, in a midfield pivot and Joao Moutinho is expected to be deployed in the attacking midfield role.
Finally, Daniel Podence and Hwang Hee-chan will be deployed in the wide areas, while Diego Costa will lead the line for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sa; Semedo, Collins, Kilman, Bueno; Neves, Nunes; Hee-Chan, Moutinho, Podence; Costa
Key Stats
- Liverpool have won their last seven matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in four of their last six matches against Wolves.
- Liverpool have conceded eight goals in their last four matches across all competitions.
- Wolves have won just one of their last nine away games in all competitions.
- Wolves have scored at least once in each of their last four away games in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Cody Gakpo
The Dutchman is all set to make his Liverpool debut this week, and he will be looking to make his mark against Wolverhampton wonders.
Jürgen Klopp has confirmed Cody Gakpo is in contention to make his debut in Saturday’s #EmiratesFACup tie with Wolves. ⤵
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 6, 2023
The 23-year-old has been in lightning form this season and he has 13 goals and 17 assists across all competitions at the club level. He managed to score 3 goals in the World Cup as well. Cody Gakpo is our man to watch on Saturday night, and he will look to punish Wolves for their defensive frailties.
Prediction
Liverpool 2-1 Wolves
Liverpool have not been at their best this season, and this should be a close contest. Wolves are unlikely to roll over and they will look to put up a fight here. However, the Reds have enough quality and depth in the side to grind out a victory and the FA Cup is their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this season.
Klopp will demand a thoroughly professional performance from his players, and the home side should be able to edge this one. The Hard Tackle predicts Liverpool to beat Wolves 2-1 to progress to the FA Cup fourth round.
