Liverpool secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on Saturday, December 28, 2025, a result that propelled the Reds into the Premier League's top four while etching Wolves' name into the history books for all the wrong reasons.
Ruthless Reds Seal First-Half Victory
The match was decided in a blistering two-minute spell just before half-time. After a period where Wolves frustrated the home crowd, Ryan Gravenberch broke the deadlock in the 41st minute. A clever run and cutback from Jeremie Frimpong found the Dutch midfielder, who finished calmly into the bottom corner.
The celebrations had barely subsided when Florian Wirtz doubled the lead just a minute later. The German international, a summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen, latched onto a precise through ball from Hugo Ekitike and poked it past goalkeeper Jose Sa for his first Liverpool goal. "I was confident that I would score one day," Wirtz said post-match. "We played a brilliant first half."
Wolves' Unwanted Premier League Record
Wolves showed spirit after the break, pulling a goal back in the 51st minute. Tolu Arokodare's header was saved by Alisson Becker, but defender Santiago Bueno was quickest to react and slotted home the rebound. Despite applying pressure, the visitors could not find an equaliser.
The defeat confirmed a grim milestone for Rob Edwards' side. With this result, Wolverhampton Wanderers have now gone 18 Premier League matches without a win at the start of the season. This surpasses the previous longest winless start of 17 games set by Sheffield United in the 2020-21 campaign. In the entire history of English top-flight football, only Bolton Wanderers in 1902-03 had a worse start, failing to win any of their first 22 matches.
Post-Match Reactions and Context
Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed satisfaction with the result, if not the complete performance. "Happy because in football it’s about results," Slot told Sky Sports. "Today a large part of the game I liked, but there were definitely also parts I didn’t like. The end product of it all, a win, is what I like."
The victory extends Liverpool's unbeaten run to seven games across all competitions and marks their third consecutive Premier League win. They now have 32 points from 18 matches, sitting ten points behind league leaders Arsenal.
For Wolves, the nightmare continues. They remain rooted to the bottom of the table with a meagre two points from 18 games, a staggering 16 points from safety. Their second-half performance, however, where they matched Liverpool with four shots on target each, offered a glimmer of confidence for the struggling side.
The match was also emotionally charged, being the first meeting between the clubs since the passing of former player Diogo Jota in July. Two of Jota's children were matchday mascots, walking out with Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, and Gravenberch honoured his former teammate by performing Jota's signature shark celebration after scoring.
Liverpool achieved this win despite the absence of key attackers Mohamed Salah, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, and the injured record signing Alexander Isak.
