Liverpool look to extend their perfect start when high-flying Wolves host Liverpool at West Midlands. Jurgen Klopp's men have blitzed opponents with ruthless attacking displays. But Wolves will prove a stern test after an impressive opening month.

Liverpool vs Wolves

The match will take place on Saturday, 16th September, 2023, at Molineux Stadium,  in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England.

Rampant Reds Run Riot in Villa Rout

Liverpool were at their dazzling best as they blitzed Aston Villa 3-0 at Anfield to maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season.

In a performance bursting with energy and invention, Jurgen Klopp's men never allowed Villa a foothold in the game. The visitors were sucked into Liverpool's attacking vortex and simply had no answer.

At times it resembled an exhibition match, such was the chasm in quality on display. This was Liverpool operating on a different level, finding space at will and carving through a beleaguered Villa defense.

Summer signing Darwin Nunez was unleashed from the start after his super-sub heroics against Newcastle last week. The Uruguayan instantly brought a physical edge and directness to Liverpool's frontline.

Nunez announced his presence early, rampaging through Villa challenges before stinging Emiliano Martinez's palms with a blistering long-range drive.

With Nunez occupying defenders, it gave the likes of Salah and Diaz room to weave their magic. The duo were a constant menace with their tricky dribbling and rapid exchange of passes.

It was that telepathic understanding between Salah and Diaz that created the opening goal inside the first 5 minutes. After riding two challenges, Salah slipped a precise ball into Diaz whose shot struck the post before bouncing in off Villa defender Matty Cash for an own goal.

From there, emboldened Liverpool were irresistible. They zipped passes around with pace and precision, starving Villa of any possession. It was wave after wave of red attacks.

The second goal was a carbon copy. This time Nunez's shot cannoned off the upright but Salah was alert to tap home the rebound.

Liverpool were so dominant it began to look like a training drill. Midfielders Fabinho and Elliott imposed themselves in the engine room, releasing the front three early.

Full backs Robertson and Alexander-Arnold patrolled the flanks, delivering a barrage of crosses into the box. At the back, Matip and Gomez were rarely troubled.

By half time Liverpool could have been 4 or 5 goals to the good. Martinez made smart stops from Diaz and Nunez, while Matip missed a free header.

After the break, Klopp's men simply picked up where they left off. The intricate interplay and dynamic movement had Villa chasing shadows.

Salah grabbed the third, arriving right on cue to convert Robertson's inviting cross. It was no less than Liverpool's talisman deserved after another dazzling display.

The final half-hour became a procession as the Reds cruised to an emphatic win. The Kop serenaded their heroes, enthralled by the poetry in motion unfolding before them.

Klopp beamed from the sidelines, embracing his players at the final whistle. On days like this, his Liverpool machine functions perfectly, annihilating opponents through coordinated press and clinical attack.

After indifferent recent results, this statement performance will infuse Liverpool with fresh belief. The frightening reality for rivals is there are even higher gears for The Reds to hit.

Strapping on their shooting boots signaled Liverpool's intent to take the Premier League by storm this season. A raucous Anfield roared its approval at this swaggering display.

Toothless Wolves Come Up Short in Palace Defeat

Wolves struggled to make an impact in a 2-1 defeat away to Crystal Palace. The visitors looked bereft of ideas and lacked a cutting edge as Palace's pace on the counter proved decisive.

On a frustrating afternoon in South London, Wolves generally enjoyed the lion's share of possession. But they seldom looked like unlocking Palace's well-drilled defense.

Debutant Sasa Kalajdzic was not fit enough to start after his summer arrival from Stuttgart. Wolves missed the Austrian's physical presence upfront as lone striker Fabio Silva toiled.

The young Portuguese forward feeding off scraps was unable to influence the game. Palace defenders Marc Guehi and Chris Richards dealt comfortably with Silva's limited threat.

In midfield, Wolves sorely lacked creativity without the departed Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes. Joao Gomes and Joe Hodge worked hard but neither could provide the craft to open up Palace.

Out wide, Pedro Neto saw plenty of the ball but his final ball was often found lacking. The speedy winger failed to deliver quality service to the underworked Silva.

At the back, Wolves were solid enough but failed to deal with Palace's pace on the break. Eze in particular was a constant menace with his direct dribbling and clever movement.

The influential Eze created the opener on 56 minutes after robbing Gomez in midfield. His interception freed Odsonne Edouard who dinked a composed finish over Jose Sa.

Stung into action, Wolves responded quickly as Neto's cross was turned in by substitute Hwang Hee-Chan three minutes later. But it only sparked Palace into life.

Eze soon restored the Eagles' lead with a sumptuous curled free kick beyond Sa's reach. Wolves had no reply, unable to break down Palace's stubborn defense.

Boss Gary O'Neil threw on striker Kalajdzic for the final 15 minutes to add a physical presence up top. But the injury-plagued striker looked rusty and off the pace.

Wolves' attacking struggles were summed up when center-back Toti Gomes went closest to an equalizer, heading wide in stoppage time.

Seconds later, Chelsea loanee Matheus Cunha grabbed a late consolation with a looping header. But it only served to paper over the cracks of a largely toothless display.

O'Neil has a major task on his hands to inject much-needed creativity into this Wolves team. 

The manager will surely target the upcoming transfer window to add more flair. But in the short term, Wolves must find solutions within the existing squad.

Recapturing that quality will be O'Neil's greatest challenge. On this showing, it remains a distant prospect. However, the manager's pragmatic approach could reap rewards if given time.

For now, Wolves must grind out results as they seek to rediscover their identity. It promises to be a long road back towards the upper echelons for this likable but limited group of players.

Predicted Lineups

Liverpool:

Alisson Becker, Andrew Robertson, Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Luis Díaz, Diego Jota, Mohamed Salah

Wolves:

José Sá, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Max Kilman, Toti Gomes, Nélson Semedo, João Gomes, João Moutinho, Mario Lemina, Daniel Podence, Matheus Cunha, Pedro Neto

Key Battles

Salah vs Semedo - Liverpool's main man against Wolves' flying fullback

Gravenberch vs Jimenez - Dutch colossus takes on Wolves' focal point in attack