Key events
“Rob, I face a stateside Everton fan dilemma,” says Mary Waltz. “As I bask in the rosy afterglow of today’s victory, dizzy from the heights of 15th place in the table, who should I root for? For Wolves to vanquish our ancient Red Enemy, or take a more strategic tact and cheer for any of our basement-dwelling relegation partners to lose?”
It’s too early to worry about relegation, even for Everton. Sit back, relax and sing Hi-Ho Wolverhampton with all your might.
“Well, I’m still convinced that when Villa beat Liverpool 5-1 in December 1976, that it lowered my natural disease resistance such that I had six weeks off work with pneumonia in January,” says Alec Smith. “Mind you, it was a bitter cold night and me & my dad were on the, what was then, exposed Witton Lane End.”
Sorry, I should have asked why late goals specifically would trigger a cold. (Also, weren’t Villa 5-1 up at half-time in that game? You could’ve gone home.)
“Cold trigger,” says a matter-of-fact Pete Higginson. “West Park. The goals flu in.”
“On the sofa waiting to follow the game,” says Pete Higginson. “Had a cold all week triggered by the late trouncing by Villa. Salami toasties for tea. Gary O’Neil gone by breakfast.”
I’m intrigued: how does a football match trigger a cold?
Plenty of activity in the 3pm games. Cole Palmer scored four times in the first half, Arsenal needed an injury-time goal to beat Leicester and Everton came from behind to win their first league game of the season. David Tindall will give you chapter and verse.
“Loath as I am to ever criticise Liverpool,” understates Matt Dony, “I wish they wouldn’t publish the team sheet in numerical order. Diaz at left CB? Robertson and Alexander-Arnold on either side of the front three? It would be entertaining, at least…”
It’s not as annoying as the clubs who play silly buggers and deliberately put the team in the wrong formation.
Team news
Both teams make two changes from their last league games. Wolves bring in Toti and Santiago Bueno at centre-back for the injured Yerson Mosquera and Craig Dawson.
Alisson returns in goal for Liverpool, replacing Caoimhin Kelleher, and Diogo Jota is in for the unwell Darwin Nunez.
Preamble
Hello, good evening and welcome to live coverage of Wolves v Liverpool at Molineux. It’s a chance for Liverpool to go top of the table and inform the world that there may be more than two horses in the title race.
Wolves, who were so impressive in their first season under Gary O’Neil, are in serious danger of infiltrating a different battle – the annual slog to avoid relegation. They’ve had a wretched start, picking up only one point from five games, although their run of fixtures has been extremely difficult. They’ve already played four of the top seven, and they’re about to make it five.
Kick off 5.30pm.
