Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Wolves: Old Guard Sends Reds to FA Cup Quarterfinals

The longest-tenured Liverpool players stole the show on Friday night.

Liverpool struck three times in the second half. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Liverpool needed to wait just three nights to get revenge, comfortably defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–1 to advance to the FA Cup quarterfinals.

After a poorly played and uneventful first half, Liverpool woke up and dominated the final 45 minutes, starting with a wonderful strike from Andrew Robertson to ignite the win. Mohamed Salah scored the Reds’ second just two minutes later and Curtis Jones added a third before Hwang Hee-chan scored a consolation goal for the hosts.

Arne Slot’s side overcame a poor start and answered the call to make amends for their unacceptable performance at Molineux on Tuesday. Their Premier League title defense might be over, but at this point of the season the FA Cup represents the Reds’ most realistic path to collecting silverware in 2025–26.

---

The Moment That Defined The Match

Andrew Robertson (left) fired Liverpool into the lead with a cracking hit. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Liverpool had been alarmingly unimaginative in attack and, although they never looked in danger of conceding, they were very poor through the opening 50 minutes of the contest. That all changed when Robertson decided to take matters into his own hands.

The veteran fullback scored a goal that completely disregarded the underwhelming script of the match up to that point. An absolute rocket from distance courtesy of the Scotsman’s privileged left foot found its way into the bottom corner and unlocked the game for the visitors.

Wolves were shaken up following the opener and dropped their guard, allowing the Reds to land the knockout punch two minutes later, when Robertson took advantage of a suddenly unorganized backline to slide in a cross for Mohamed Salah to make it two.

It’s clear that Wolves’ mission was keeping the game scoreless and eventually either take advantage of a set piece, counter attack or an eventual penalty shootout. Their plan was working brilliantly through 50 minutes, but Robertson’s thumping hit ruined it all, and before the hosts had time to react, they had already conceded a second which put the game completely out of reach.

---

Liverpool Player Ratings vs. Wolves (4-2-3-1)

The Reds were all smiles in the second half. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Alisson—6.8: Barking out orders and making easy passes was all Alisson did for much of the night, as his quality between the sticks was rarely required.

RB: Dominik Szoboszlai—8.3: Another Liverpool game, another stellar Szoboszlai performance. He was strong in every phase until he misjudged a ball which led to Wolves' consolation. He was flawless besides that.

CB: Joe Gomez—6.9: Did his job without breaking a sweat in what must’ve been a very enjoyable night where he was never really tested.

CB: Virgil van Dijk—7.5: Inspired confidence at the back and had a couple of very nice line-breaking passes from behind the halfway life. Pocketed Tolu Arokodare whenever called upon.

LB: Andrew Rpbertson—8.9: A vintage performance from the legendary left back who looked engaged from the start and exited the pitch with a goal and assist performance.

DM: Ryan Gravenberch—7.8: Often took too many touches before releasing the ball, stalling Liverpool’s possessions and giving Wolves time to adjust adjust their defensive positions. Improved drastically in the second half.

DM: Alexis Mac Allister—7.1: Not the brightest of showings from the Argentine who tirelessly recycled possession all game until he left the pitch after receiving a knock on his ankle.

RW: Mohamed Salah—7.5: Invisible for the entirety of the first half but came alive in the second. Was key in the action of Robertson’s opener and then timed his run perfectly to tap-in his side’s second.

AM: Curtis Jones—8.8: Didn’t look comfortable playing so far up the pitch in the first half but improved after the interval. He’ll be credited with an assist in the opener and then had a very nice finish to add Liverpool’s third.

LW: Rio Ngumoha—7.3: The best Liverpool attacker during the first half by a large margin. He nearly scored a cracking goal early and always looked menacing on the ball. A positive showing from the teenager.

ST: Cody Gakpo—7.1: This time deployed at center forward, Gakpo one again failed to have any significant impact in attack. In the only clear chance he got, he slammed a header into the post, albeit from an offside position.

SUB: Jeremie Frimpong (69’ for Salah)—6.1: Misplaced two of the five passes he attempted since coming on. Not enough time to make a considerable impact with the match already decided.

SUB: Florian Wirtz (69’ for Ngumoha)—6.6: Didn’t leave much of a mark during his cameo but his return after missing the last three games is very good news for Slot’s side.

SUB: Ibrahima Konaté (81’ for Van Dijk)—N/A

SUB: Trey Nyoni (82’ for Mac Allister)—N/A

SUB: Kieran Morrison (86’ for Gakpo)—N/A

Subs not used: Giorgi Mamardashvili (GK), Milos Kerkez, Federico Chiesa, Hugo Ekitike.

---

What The Ratings Tell Us

Andrew Robertson made it abundantly clear he can still deliver the goods. | James GillDanehouse/Getty Images

• Rio Ngumoha should get a chance to start more frequently, especially considering the substantial dip in form Cody Gakpo is experiencing. Slot might want to be cautious with the teenager’s development but he’s looked better than the struggling Dutchman in recent matches and tonight was no exception.
• Andrew Roberson might not be at the level he once was, but he’s still a very comparable player to Milos Kerkez. In high-stakes games later in the term, it might not be unwise to start the veteran over the summer recruit, especially if he keeps performing this way.
• Alexis Mac Allister can’t seem to turn around his season. It was yet another alarmingly quiet performance from a player that’s been so good in recent years, and leaving the pitch limping doesn’t bode well. With Florian Wirtz back to full fitness, the Argentine could see his minutes take a hit in coming games, at least as a way for him to reset and get fully fit.

---

The Numbers That Explain Liverpool’s Dominant Second Half

Curtis Jones, like Liverpool, came alive in the second half. | Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

• After generating a tame 0.44 xG in the opening 45 minutes, Liverpool had 1.30 xG by the 53rd minute and two goals scored. In the end, the Reds over performed their final 1.80 xG.
• Wolves could only muster three shots on target. The first came after they were already down two, the second when they were down three, and the third was a stoppage-time goal with the match already over.
• Liverpool had 20 total shots to just four from Wolves, making it clear that only one team was interested in attacking while the other was comfortable playing for a scoreless draw.

Statistic	Wolves	Liverpool
Possession	33%	67%
Expected Goals (xG)	0.44	1.80
Total Shots	4	20
Shots on Target	3	9
Big Chances	1	1
Passing Accuracy	81%	92%
Fouls Committed	13	7
Corners	0	11

---