Liverpool head coach Arne Slot praised the fight his side showed and admitted his players looked tired as the Reds battled to a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.
The victory restores Liverpool's lead over Arsenal at the top of the table to seven points.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
26 | +36 | 61 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
25 | +29 | 53 |
| 3 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
25 | +12 | 47 |
| 4 |
Man City
MCI
|
25 | +17 | 44 |
"We needed to fight and we needed Alisson," Slot told Sky Sports. "In a season where you want to achieve something, you need to have wins like this as well. Wins like this should also be included where you want to achieve something.
"It's never the gameplan never to create anything at all. We did have a goal offside and a penalty overturned.
"Wolves took a lot of risks. The team felt today to bring this win over the line, defending was more important than attacking. if this is what it takes to win a game then I'm happy the players could do that again.
"Fatigue comes from running a lot and a bit of mental fatigue a lot. We were mentally tested today. We thought we'd scored a third and then a penalty for the third but both were correct from the referee. Maybe it did lead to us being a bit tired. I did see for the first time this season that players were more tired than they have been.
"It wasn't the plan that Cody Gakpo got injured because [Luis] Diaz played against Plymouth. He showed great character by being really important with the two goals and his work rate.
"You can never breathe in this competition. I saw Arsenal's 15-game unbeaten run and the gap has always been the same so that shows that we do. If you want to compete for something special then you have to win a lot of games in this league."
Incredibly, it was the first time since records began in 2003/04 that Liverpool failed to attempt a shot in the second half of a Premier League match at Anfield.
But the fact that Liverpool were still able to grind out their 30th win from their 40 matches across all competitions this season, more than any other team in Europe’s big five leagues, delighted captain Virgil Van Dijk.
"We'd love to dominate for the full 90 minutes but it is the Premier League and Wolves can punish you and create dangerous moments against you," Van Dijk told BBC's Match of the Day.
"It says a lot we kept fighting and kept going and got the three points.
"Today showed at times that when we have the ball you can exploit it as well. Cunha was a danger man for them today we had to be aware of. Unfortunately he scored but we kept them to that.
"I definitely give them credit the way they went one v one most of the times and how they found the free man between the lines.
"At times we were sloppy as well and we couldn't keep the ball as well as we can at times."
'Hopefully this can start a winning streak'
Liverpool left-back Andrew Robertson suggested that last Wednesday's 2-2 draw in the Merseyside derby with Everton could have contributed to the Reds' sluggish second-half performance.
"We just managed to dig deep," Robertson said on Sky Sports. "Two-nil at half-time, that can be one of the most dangerous results in football. We had to come out and start well and didn't quite do that.
"Second half was a slog, maybe playing Wednesday took it out of a few of the lads. But it was about trying to use the experience on the pitch and everything we've got.
"When they scored, everyone gets nervous, the crowd gets nervous - but it's a massive win for us.
"I thought Wolves were excellent second half. They made a couple of changes at half-time at 2-0 down and went a little more attacking with more forward players up in key areas. That made it more difficult.
"But we have to be better on the ball. We know that. The result is big, after Wednesday and the defeat in the FA Cup, it's important to get back to a winning streak. Hopefully this can be the start of one."
Leaders Liverpool face three more Premier League matches over an eight-day span, starting with a visit to Aston Villa on Wednesday night.
Liverpool's next five PL fixtures
Slot revealed after the match that Gakpo remains a doubt for the trip to Villa Park due to the knock the Dutch forward picked up against Everton.
"[It's] under debate [as to whether he'll be fit]," Slot told the club's official website. "It's fast, Wednesday already, so let's wait and see."
Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes recent setbacks against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup and versus Everton in the league have affected Slot's men, and reckons that despite the victory over Wolves, there will be more twists and turns in the title race.
"It wasn't calm. I would put it down to the previous two results," Redknapp told Sky Sports. "The Everton goal where they scored late and the Plymouth result that knocked them off their rhythm.
"Even at 2-0. I felt it at half-time, it was still a tricky 45 minutes ahead. They managed to hold on.
"Liverpool just needed to get three points. It was a huge win for them, it keeps Arsenal at arm's reach. But there's a long, long way to go. Plenty of twists and turns to come."
