Manager Stephen Warnock has criticized Curtis Jones for the defensive mistakes that allowed Wolves to score a dramatic goal in stoppage time against Liverpool.
After a chaotic final 10 minutes of a 2-1 defeat at Molineux on Tuesday night, the Reds’ Champions League ambitions are now within reach.
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Warnock says Curtis Jones is responsible for Wolves’ win
Much of the immediate post-match discussion focused on Joe Gomez’s unfortunate deflection, but former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock, who also criticized Liverpool’s first-half performance, pointed to Curtis Jones’ crucial error in the build-up.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Warnock claimed the midfielder’s decision-making put unnecessary pressure on the entire defense just when the game appeared to be a draw.
“That was a mistake by Curtis Jones. He put the ball into Alisson and Alisson was never going to buy it. It put the keeper in a terrible position.”
The botched clearance eventually fell to Wolves midfielder Andre, who was looking tired in the closing stages.
“Andre looked heavy for the last five minutes or so and when he took the shot it took a terrible deflection to get it past Alisson,” Warnock added.
The ball hit Gomez and changed its trajectory completely, leaving Alisson stranded and slotted into the goal in the 94th minute.
Liverpool suffers blow in battle for top four
The result was a devastating blow for Arne Slott’s side, who had appeared to have regained a point just minutes earlier with Mohamed Salah’s record-breaking goal.
The defeat leaves Liverpool in fifth place with 48 points, three points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with nine games left in the season.
For Wolves, who started the day at the bottom of the table, this victory marks their second consecutive Midlands Derby success following Friday’s game against Villa.
Although they remain in the relegation zone with 13 points, they have moved into the safe zone.
Meanwhile, Liverpool need to rebuild their structure quickly as they prepare to face Wolves again this Friday at Molineux, this time in the FA Cup fifth round.
