Less chaos, more control for Liverpool
“That’s a Klopp goal,” said Jamie Carragher on co-commentary after Luis Diaz buried Liverpool’s breakaway opener following a blistering counter-attack in their 2-0 win over Brentford.
Those devastating moments of directness are deeply ingrained in these Liverpool players but there was evidence of their changing approach under new head coach Arne Slot.
The emphasis is on control. Liverpool dominated Brentford. For the most part, though, their approach play was patient. Sometimes, the passing and moving was mesmerising. But it was not gung-ho. Carragher later called it a “Man City-like” performance.
“There wasn’t any jeopardy in the game,” he said. It might take some getting used to for the club’s supporters but it is no bad thing – not when they are winning as comfortably as this.
Their passing numbers told a tale. In addition to having 63 per cent possession in the game, Liverpool completed 92 per cent of their passes – their highest success rate in a Premier League game since Opta started taking records in 2003/04.
Alexis Mac Allister admitted the players will need time to adapt. “Sometimes we should be patient but instead we are quite direct,” he told Sky Sports. But the new era is here, and the signs of Slot’s approach taking hold are already clear to see.
Nick Wright
Madueke makes mark on Maresca’s Chelsea
With the controversial social media post sweeping round the West Midlands prior to kick-off, Noni Madueke was always going to have a say in this fixture.
His first touch at the Molineux Stadium, along with every other one throughout the game, was met by an orchestra of boos from the home fans – who felt disrespected by the winger.
He was relatively quiet in a first half, with his team second-best for large periods of the opening stages of the game.
However, following Enzo Maresca’s half-time team talk which he revealed was focused on improving “accuracy”, Madueke stunned Wolves and didn’t look back.
The winger played up to his pantomime villain act and a quick-fire 14-minute hat-trick was the perfect way to respond to the reception from the home crowd – albeit self-inflicted.
Casting our minds back to west London, Madueke has been linked with moves away with Chelsea’s strength in numbers continuing to unfold before Deadline Day – but with this performance, he’s put the rumours to bed and staked his claim to be a major part of Maresca’s plan.
“I said many times, since day one, I really like Noni,” his boss said after full-time. “He’s that kind of winger that I really like.”
Patrick Rowe
What constitutes handball? Bournemouth left to ponder by VAR
When Dango Ouattara got to his feet and started to celebrate scoring his last-gasp winner for Bournemouth against Newcastle on Sunday, nothing that had come before it mattered.
They had been the better side, Antoine Semenyo had proved to be a constant thorn in the side and a first win of the season was seconds away. It was deserved.
Nothing mattered when, after a VAR review, the goal was disallowed, either. The post-match narrative had been set.
Lewis Cook delivered the corner from the right, Ouattara leapt to head it, connected with his upper arm under pressure from Dan Burn and found the net. Referee David Coote’s initial decision was to award the goal. The ball seemed to have struck the Burkina Faso international’s shoulder; a hard surface had propelled it towards the target.
VAR Simon Hooper did not agree and, posting on X, the Premier League’s new Match Centre account said it had been “deemed a factual handball”. It was the final act of the game and left the Vitality Stadium feeling flat.
According to the Laws of the Game on the FA’s official website, the upper boundary of the arm is “in line with the bottom of the armpit”. On second, third and fourth glance, it is hard to argue the point of contact was that low.
Eddie Howe admitted his “welcome surprise” at seeing the goal chalked off, while Andoni Iraola fumed, insisting Coote would have awarded the goal had he been given the chance to go to the monitor. Alas, that was not the case.
That, too, does not matter anymore. But you can be sure Dermot Gallagher will have his say on Ref Watch on Monday morning…
Dan Long
Wolves ship six but positives to take
It’s a fairly damning read on the face of things when you look at a 6-2 scoreline – but it doesn’t paint the full, and slightly more positive, picture for Wolves.
Despite conceding early, the hosts rallied well and got back into this fixture through strong pressing, neat play in the final third and their fans spurring them on.
Matheus Cunha saw an early goal chalked off, levelled the scoreline shortly after and rattled the woodwork just before half-time.
Wolves could have – and arguably should have – gone into the half-time break with the lead but settled for 2-2 at the time. They were the better team for large chunks of the opening 45 minutes, as Gary O’Neil rightfully pointed out.
“From going 1-0 down, up until half-time, we were the better side,” he told Sky Sports. “We equalised and then at 1-1 we were on top.
“Then we give them a goal from the goal kick. We managed to bounce back again and go to 2-2. But I didn’t see the second half coming.”
His side quickly lost control of the game in the second half, as Noni Madueke’s 14-minute hat-trick with virtually the same goal each time put the game out of reach.
But Wolves can take positives from this game. Matheus Cunha was in fine finishing form, Jorgen Strand Larsen was bright, and netted his first goal for the club, and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was also lively.
It’s zero points from two for them – but they will eventually come for this Wolves side.
Patrick Rowe
Bees need Hickey, Henry more than Toney
Ivan Toney’s absence is not the biggest problem at Brentford. It may not even be a big problem in the long run. When asked if Thomas Frank thought his team missed a big focal point in attack, his answer was a clear and concise one. “No.”
The problem Frank has is at full-back – both sides. Brentford have been without both of their first choice full-backs/wing-backs for nearly a year now as Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey have both been unavailable. Since Hickey joined Brentford in July 2022 the pair have started only 28 of a possible 78 Premier League games.
Kristoffer Ajer started at left-back for only the third time in his career at Anfield and although he coped manfully at times with the threat of Mohamed Salah, it was his poor positioning that allowed the Liverpool winger to score the all-important second goal.
Henry and Hickey are back in training and are expected back after the September international break. Brentford will be a different animal defensively with them.
Lewis Jones