Liverpool

Wolves got a big win over Villa in their last league match and I watched them beat Blackburn in the FA Cup too.

I cannot see Vitor Pereira's side getting anything at Anfield, though.

Liverpool have to bounce back after conceding an equaliser so late on against Everton but I do expect them to react positively here.

They might not have manager Arne Slot or his assistant Sipke Hulshoff on the bench after their red cards on Wednesday, and this is a tricky spell for them with away games against Aston Villa and Manchester City coming up next week.

A lot of people might be thinking this might be their blip, but I don't think what happened in the derby is going to faze Liverpool.

There are 14 games left so they are not in the home straight yet, and they still have a seven-point cushion at the top.

In many ways, their players might use the dropped points at Goodison Park as a motivation to see off Wolves, and I am pretty confident they will get back on track straight away.

I am going for Mohammed Salah to score and Liverpool to win comfortably.

Sutton's prediction: 3-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

BBC Sport's Rob Schofield talks to The Football News Show presenter Sarah Mulkerrins after Liverpool boss Arne Slot's news conference, during which the Dutchman said "emotions got the better of me" when he was sent off after the dramatic draw at Everton.

Watch The Football News Show's full Premier League weekend preview

Rob Schofield
BBC Sport reporter

Friday's news conference had a very post-match feel as it was the first time we got to ask Arne Slot about Wednesday's dramatic 2-2 draw with Everton.

Neither the Liverpool head coach, nor his assistant Sipke Hulshoff, were allowed to speak to the media after being sent off at Goodison Park, but it felt like a day off had certainly helped calm the mood, with Slot returning to his familiar, reflective manner.

"Emotions got the better of me," admitted the Dutchman, who went on to say if he could go back and act differently he would do.

Slot refrained from divulging a great deal about his verbal interaction with referee Michael Oliver in respect for the "ongoing process" which will determine the extent of his punishment.

However, on midfielder Curtis Jones, who was shown a second yellow card along with Abdoulaye Doucoure for their altercation at the final whistle, he said: "There are other ways to do that for the team and fans, so I will talk with him about that."

The Reds boss always manages to get the balance right, though, and made the point that the same applies to him, adding: "It is an emotional sport. Individuals make wrong decisions out of emotion and that is what I did."

Watch a bit more of Slot's news conference below...

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool have won 15 of their past 16 Premier League meetings with Wolves, with the exception being a 3-0 loss at Molineux in February 2023.

Wolves have lost all seven of their Premier League away games against sides starting the day top of the table. Only Sheffield Wednesday (9), Bournemouth (8) and Watford (8) have visited the league leaders more times in the competition without managing to avoid defeat.

Cody Gakpo has scored in each of his past six Premier League starts at Anfield, scoring seven goals. Only three different Liverpool players have scored in seven or more successive home starts in the competition: Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez (both eight) and Mohamed Salah twice (seven and eight).

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Liverpool are the eighth team in Premier League history to have 57 points after 24 games – of the previous seven, four of them went on to win the title, while three did not.

A bit more 50-50 than you expected, Liverpool fans? It is not quite as precarious as it sounds...

Manchester United and Arsenal both had 57 points at this stage in the 2007-08 season so of course only one of those could have gone on to win the title.

The Gunners had the same number of points as Arne Slot's side at this stage two years ago too, but they had a smaller lead and were being chased by a peak – and fully-functioning – Manchester City team.

• Not a Liverpool fan? Find and follow your team here

The only team to have 57 points and a bigger lead at this stage and not win the title was Kevin Keegan's Newcastle in 1995-96.

The Magpies took 12 more points than any other side from the first 24 games but famously fell away and finished runners-up to Sir Alex Ferguson's United.

It is important to note that Newcastle were not 12 points ahead after playing 24 games as chasers Manchester United had already played, and won, their 25th game and were therefore nine points behind. However, the Magpies took 57 points from their first 24 games and chasers United and Liverpool took 45 points from theirs.

Only one team has ever had more than 57 points at this stage of a Premier League campaign and not gone on to win the title – something Liverpool fans will well know as it was Jurgen Klopp's Reds in 2018-19.

But, similar to Arsenal two years ago, they had just a five-point lead and were being hunted down by one of Pep Guardiola's greatest-ever City sides, who went on to win the title with a whopping 98 points to Liverpool's 97.

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Wolves (kick-off 14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Slot confirmed Trent Alexander-Arnold is training with the team again after playing half an hour on Wednesday, while Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton remain out. He also said Cody Gakpo is a "doubt" after picking up a "knock" against Everton.

• Following his red card at Goodison Park, the Liverpool boss said he wants to "respect" the "ongoing process" and "can't go into detail" on what happened: "What happened was that, during the extra time that was intended to be five and went to eight, a lot happens and the emotions got the better of me. If I could do differently, I would have loved to do it differently. I hope to do it differently the next time."

• On how he feels about Curtis Jones' reaction at full-time, after the midfielder received a red card: "Happy he stands up a lot for the team. There are other ways to do that for the team and fans, so I will talk with him about that. But the same for me - I should have acted differently after the game too. But, it is an emotional sport. Individuals make wrong decisions out of emotion and that is what I did."

• On the result of the Merseyside derby: "It felt immediately after the referee blew his whistle that we lost two points. But during the 98 minutes, I didn't feel constantly that we were going to win the game. It felt like an equal game and the draw would've been a fair result."

• He did see plenty of positives though: "We won a lot on Wednesday. What I mean by that is when you look at the togetherness of the fans and the players and how much we fought to get the result. We have been praised so many times this season for how well we can play, but the players showed a different side. It gives me a lot of confidence for the upcoming 14 games."

• He and his staff talk about "mentality" with players on a "daily basis": "If you want to play at a top club like this, you need to have more than quality - you need mentality as well. If players don't have this inside them, then they don't play for one of the biggest clubs in the world."

• Slot praised Wolves' improvement under Vitor Pereira and spoke about forward Matheus Cunha's impact: "If you go to the Dutch league and look at that position [of team in 17th], there is no player like that. But he has the quality to play for one of the top five teams in England. It is one of the reasons why it is more difficult to win against number 17 in England than in Holland."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Full commentary of Liverpool v Wolves on BBC Radio 5 Live from 14:00 GMT on Sunday

Newcastle United and Sweden striker Alexander Isak is very interested in a move to Liverpool. (Teamtalk), external

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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk wants his side to get over their Merseyside derby frustrations "as soon as possible" in order to focus on their title pursuits.

The Reds were pegged back at the death in Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Everton, a result which leaves them seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Head coach Arne Slot and assistant Sipke Hulshoff were shown red cards by referee Michael Oliver after the fixture. Slot, who has already served a one-match touchline ban for accumulating three yellow cards, must now await the match official's report to discover what, if any punishment, he will receive.

"I think conceding a goal in the last seconds of a game, or even after added time of a game, is very difficult," said Van Dijk.

"That hurt and should hurt for each one of us but it is the reality. You have two things you can do: you can dwell on it and stay angry about it or you can take it on board, start the recovery and be ready for Wolves because that will be a difficult test again and I think that's the best thing to do.

"I think it is better to just get over it as soon as possible. It is very difficult to just put it aside because it is still so fresh and you are still thinking about it a lot and what you could have done better and differently but from today we have to move on.

"We all know we could have played better but we all know this is their game of the season and we've seen it over the years.

"Overall I think we definitely could have done better but you are still playing against a team who has strength in the way they played and we have to adapt to that."

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot prides himself on staying cool during matches - but even he could not maintain his calm in the hothouse that was Goodison Park on Wednesday night.

He was sent off, along with assistant Sipke Hulshoff, as were Everton's Abdoulaye Doucoure and Liverpool midfield man Curtis Jones.

They were all involved in chaotic scenes after James Tarkowski's equaliser, Liverpool's rage and frustration clear after the goal was given.

When the dust settled, and there is an awful lot of dust to settle after an explosive night at the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, Slot and Liverpool can reflect on now being seven points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Would they have settled for that at the start of the season? You bet.

Josh Sexton
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

The final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park having four goals, four red cards and last-kick-of-the-game drama, only felt like a fitting way to say goodbye to The Old Lady.

Being honest, I'll be more than glad to see the back of the place for how it makes Everton players seem 10-feet-tall in recent derbies, and in contrast makes Liverpool's stars look a lot less than the sum of their parts.

The Reds were simply not intelligent enough in their game management and I think a 2-1 win would've flattered them, and that's what I think will rankle the most with Arne Slot.

Any refereeing decisions, luck or circumstance in moments are hardly likely to be the subject in the analysis rooms of their training centre in Kirkby, but I hope they're having an in-depth chat about how they can be smarter in creating their own luck and not leaving games so in the balance as to let circumstance decide the outcome.

Besides Alexis Mac Allister, few of those that started on the night can say they felt they gave the best version of themselves. While I have some sympathy around the extenuating circumstances that Goodison Park and Michael Oliver provided, they'll face more adversity in the coming weeks and months, and they'll need cooler heads to prevail.

They possess those characteristics and the requisite depth to take any future challenges head on, but Slot may feel there is a lot both he and his players can learn from that cauldron of emotion they left some time after the final whistle.

Strip the emotion out of it, Liverpool. Play your best game, and not the occasion, and you can beat anybody in world football right now.

Find more from Josh Sexton at The Anfield Wrap, external

Image source, Getty Images

The last Merseyside derby at Goodison Park was never likely to bow out quietly - a 98th minute equaliser from James Tarkowski and a brawl between players after the final whistle made sure of that.

The scenes at full-time led to some confusion over who had received red cards from referee Michael Oliver.

So who was sent off and why? And how long will they be suspended for?

After Everton's Abdoulaye Doucoure went and celebrated the result in front of Liverpool fans, Reds midfielder Curtis Jones reacted by shoving his opponent before a mass brawl ensued between players from both sides.

Having already been on yellow cards, both Jones and Doucoure received second yellows and therefore red cards from Oliver.

That means both will miss their side's next match - Sunday's Wolves clash for Jones and Saturday's trip to Crystal Palace for Doucoure.

The two players were not the only ones to be given their marching orders after the final whistle, with Liverpool boss Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff also shown red cards.

Slot appeared to be sent off after exchanging words and an angry-looking handshake with referee Oliver .

According to the Premier League website, the Dutchman "was dismissed at the end of the Merseyside derby for using offensive, insulting, or abusive language".

As a result, neither Slot or his assistant could conduct post-match media duties due to rules put in place by the Premier League in 2023 which state: "Occupants of the technical area who have been dismissed are not allowed to take a seat in the stand, return to the field of play post-match, or conduct any post-match media."

The Premier League had earlier suggested Slot would receive a two-match ban before deleting it on their website.

He could still receive a touchline ban as a result of the red card, however, the Football Association needs to review referee's Michael Oliver's report. Then, they will make a decision on whether to take no further action, remind the Reds head coach of his responsibilities or charge him.

The FA has three working days to make the decision meaning it still may not come before Sunday's clash with Wolves at Anfield and Slot could still be in the dugout.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Liverpool conceding a last-gasp equaliser against Everton in the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

Here are some of your comments:

Geoffrey: A courageous performance from Liverpool against an intimidating atmosphere and team who tried their best to knock us out of our stride, but failed to. Mo Salah again proving himself to be a deserving man of the match.

Joel: It was disappointing to concede in the last minute but, looking at the whole game, Everton played well and we didn't deserve to win. We didn't create enough chances and we let Everton dictate the game they wanted to play. I was very proud of Curtis Jones at the end too. Pathetic behaviour from Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Malcolm: Tame, nervous and void of creativity. We need to improve or we risk getting caught.

Marilyn: Oh why, oh why didn't we play our lovely passing to feet game from the start? It gets results and, if nothing else, it draws fouls! It was great scrap for the neutral, but it leaves a sour taste for Reds fans.

Ben: That was a crucial two points dropped, in a game which could have a bearing on the title race. There is still a seven point gap but we are a team who, in previous years, have been known to throw away title challenges, so any points dropped gives belief to the chasing pack. It's true that one result shouldn't mean pushing the panic button, but this showed how much the team relies on Salah.

Tim: Michael Oliver played way too much extra time and VAR went missing for the foul on Konate for Everton's equaliser. I was disappointed with the officiating in such a high pressure game.

John: Take the point and move on. It wasn't a foul leading up to Everton's first goal, the final whistle should have been blown before their second goal, and there was a foul on Konate leading up to it. Everton were very lucky!

Image source, Getty Images

• Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in 23 goals in Liverpool's 13 Premier League away games this season (14 goals, nine assists), the most ever away goal involvements in a single season by any player in the competition's history, overtaking Andy Cole's 21 in 1993-94.

• Liverpool attempted six shots against Everton, their lowest total in a single match in the Premier League this season.

• Salah has 14 assists in the Premier League this season, his most ever in a single campaign in the competition, and the second-most by any Liverpool player in a Premier League campaign, behind only Steve McManaman in 1995-96 (15).

Image source, Getty Images

Defender Andy Robertson believes "a lot of people would have taken" the prospect of Liverpool being seven points clear at the top of the Premier League in mid-February.

Arne Slot's side extended their gap at the top of the Premier League table with Wednesday's dramatic 2-2 draw at Everton, but they did have the opportunity to go nine points clear with a win.

Nonetheless, Robertson is seeing the positives regarding the gap at the top in what many thought would be a transitionary season for the Reds given Slot's summer appointment.

Speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside after the Goodison Park draw, Robertson said: "When you come here, you know what to expect and I think that heightened a little bit with it being the last derby here.

"We knew what we were coming into and, for the large part, we did it well. Don't get me wrong, we could have played much better football but I thought we were right up for the fight.

"When you are winning in the 96th minute, you want to see the game out but unfortunately we probably didn't get enough bodies back when they committed their centre-backs into the box.

"It is a frustration from our point of view. We also believe there was a foul in the build-up, but we have to move on from it.

"There's nothing worse than having games in hand. You always want to be on level games and see where it takes you, so we are glad that the game in hand is out of the way.

"But we wanted three points and we wanted to be nine points clear. The fact that we're seven points clear, I think a lot of people would have taken that in mid-February."

Listen to the full post-match interview on BBC Sounds

A night of raised corner flags...

Image source, Getty Images

A night of local pride and hostility...

Image source, Getty Images

A night where some saw red...

Image source, Getty Images

Others saw blue...

Image source, Getty Images

One to cherish while a city still has two grounds with such a view.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Daily Star and Daily Express

The last Merseyside derby at Goodison Park did not disappoint, with four goals, four red cards, a VAR wait and a post-match scrap.

The night is being labelled "Mersey Mayhem," on Thursday's national newspaper back pages, while some pundits and fans are calling it a "fitting end" to such a fierce rivalry at the famous venue.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said on X, external: "That was a classic! Sickener at the end but fair play to the Blues as the goal was a cracker. Fitting way I suppose to end this fixture at Goodison. I know people think I'm the celebration police, but I do hope that lad kept the corner flag! Seven points clear, 14 to go."

And as the Reds' challenge for the Premier League title continues to mount, they will now be without head coach Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff as they were both shown red cards by referee Michael Oliver at full-time.

That means former Everton defender Johnny Heitinga will be leading Liverpool on the touchline for the next two games, with popular outlet The Anfield Wrap cheekily posting on X:, external: "Johnny Heitinga will be leading Liverpool FC on the touchline for the next two games. Not a sentence I ever thought I'd say!"

Real Madrid are ready to step up their pursuit of Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, with the Spanish giants confident of signing the 26-year-old England international. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Al-Hilal boss Jorge Jesus wants to sign Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah this summer, with the 32-year-old out of contract at the end of the season. (Daily Mirror), external

But hopes of signing Salah are fading among clubs in Saudi Arabia, who feel they are being used as leverage in contract negotiations. (The I), external

Liverpool insist 25-year-old striker Darwin Nunez is not for sale, despite interest from the Saudi Pro-League. (Mail - subscription required), external

Sheffield United are keen on signing 22-year-old defender Owen Beck and 19-year-old forward Lewis Koumas from Liverpool, if they win promotion to the Premier League. The Welsh duo are currently on loan at Blackburn and Stoke respectively. (Mail - subscription required), external

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