AliousWolves were unfortunate not to secure at least a point against Liverpool last weekend, despite a much-improved second-half display.
The Old Gold struggled in the opening 45 minutes, falling behind 2-0 after goals from Luis Díaz and Mohamed Salah. Manager Vítor Pereira responded with key tactical changes, introducing Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Marshall Munetsi for Gonçalo Guedes and Pablo Sarabia. The adjustments gave Wolves fresh energy, but one player’s underwhelming performance stood out before he was forced off due to injury.
Centre-back Emmanuel Agbadou, tasked with containing Liverpool’s potent attacking trio, endured a difficult outing—arguably his worst since joining from Stade Reims in January. His aggressive style, usually a strength, led to a reckless challenge on Diogo Jota that initially saw referee Simon Hooper award a penalty. However, a VAR review revealed that Agbadou had made no contact, sparing Wolves from further damage.
Liam Keen, speaking on *The Keen & Judah Show*, acknowledged Agbadou’s qualities as a strong, athletic, and quick defender who has generally impressed since his arrival. However, he admitted this was his weakest performance in a Wolves shirt, stating:
*”He’s had a very good start to his Wolves career, but this was clearly his poorest performance. While he wasn’t horrendous, he certainly wasn’t at his best. That challenge on Jota was far too rash—so rash, in fact, that he missed the player entirely. Had he made even the slightest contact, the penalty decision would have stood.”*
Given how reckless the tackle appeared in real time, Agbadou was fortunate to escape punishment. While his overall start to life in the Premier League has been promising, this game served as a learning experience.
Despite the disappointing result, Wolves can take plenty of positives from their performance at Anfield. Unfortunately, the severity of Agbadou’s injury remains unclear, and he is not expected to be available for the upcoming match against Bournemouth.
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