Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk laments 'sloppy, predictable, wrong decision-making' as dramatic late Wolves defeat dents Champions League hopes

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Liverpool's faltering pursuit of Premier League consistency suffered another blow on Tuesday as a stoppage-time strike consigned them to a damaging 2-1 defeat at Wolves - and left their captain Virgil van Dijk delivering an unflinching verdict. This was the fifth time Liverpool have lost to a stoppage-time goal this season, the most by any side in a single campaign in the competition's history.

Liverpool 'slow, predictable and sloppy' in loss to Wolves - Van Dijk

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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk brandished his side's performance during Tuesday's damaging 2-1 defeat by Wolves as "slow, predictable and sloppy".

Andre struck deep into stoppage time to seal a dramatic victory for the Premier League's basement side, who built on last Friday's triumph against Aston Villa with another stirring display in keeping with the resilience shown in recent weeks.

The decisive moment arrived four minutes into added time, when Wolves' Brazilian midfielder - via a deflection - converted his first goal of the campaign to dent Liverpool's Champions League qualification hopes.

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Far from the tentative side that once seemed consigned to the drop, Wolves have rediscovered belief in front of their own supporters. They seized the initiative when Rodrigo Gomes found the net with the hosts' first attempt of the night.

Mohamed Salah ended a 10-match league drought spanning 122 days to haul Liverpool level but it proved only a temporary reprieve as Arne Slot was left to rue missed opportunities and reflect on a ninth league defeat of the campaign. The sides meet again in the Emirates FA Cup fifth round on Friday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Van Dijk, speaking to TNT Sports, said: "I think it's down to ourselves. It was slow, we were predictable, sloppy in possession and wrong decision-making.

"We didn't concede chances but if you perform like that then a result like this can be a result of that and that's a fact. It was disappointing."

Highlights: Wolves stun champions Liverpool in dramatic finale at Molineux

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When asked why Liverpool started slowly, the Dutchman added: "It's not one reason why that's the case. The game, nowadays, we overanalyse why things are happening on the pitch.

"We as a team want to start a game as well as we can and in the last game we did, today we had majority possession but we were still making wrong decisions and we couldn't find the end product.

"Conceding goals is always frustrating. We've come on the back of a couple clean sheets, defensively we've been very solid but it is what it is and we have to move quickly on because we come back here in a couple of days and we want to do well in the FA Cup."

Van Dijk felt there may have been a foul on him in the build-up to Wolves' opener by substitute Tolu Arokodare, reflecting: "There's been a lot of speculation over the last couple of weeks about certain fouls being given or not given.

"The ref didn't give it, that's the reality and we have to deal with it. They scored and then 2-1 is a massive deflection. It shouldn't come to that point but it happened, and it happened for them last week against Villa.

"The whole season is not easy. It was always going to be an up and down season for multiple reasons. The league is strong, the league is demanding, every three, four days it's a big battle. We need everyone at their best, we need a big squad.

"We need results. It says that we still have work to do, that's pretty obvious and what we should focus on."

Slot frustrated at another loss in stoppage time with winner 'not even a chance'

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Gerrard: Slot now has to start Ngumoha

Gerrard did not share Van Dijk's opinion on the legitimacy of Wolves' opener, believing there had not been a foul in the lead-up to Gomes' lofted finish.

"Liverpool are clutching at straws if they're asking for a foul [for Wolves' winning goal]," Gerrard told TNT Sports. "Wolves brought on a big, physical presence and you've got to be ready for that.

"You've got to stand up and be stronger. I think he'll be disappointed with that when he watches it back. He was hoping [Ibrahima] Konate could bail him out."

"For 65 minutes tonight, Liverpool were desperate tonight and really poor. They didn't create enough, they didn't play at the right speed or the right tempo.

Gerrard: 'Desperate' Liverpool need to start Ngumoha

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"They didn't have enough quality. He [Slot] has to start [Rio] Ngumoha now. He's coming on and he's doing more in a short cameo and a short space of time than [Cody] Gakpo is doing in 65-70 minutes.

"He deserves a start now and he's got to start the kid on Friday night. Wolves looked really comfortable. The first half was a complete waste from Liverpool. They didn't do anything, there was no urgency, no ball-speed change in the top end of the pitch, and they've got to stop conceding some really poor goals.

"It was a basic ball up to a target man [for the first], and then there was no reaction for the second goal. If they want to progress in the FA Cup, they're going to have to defend a lot better. They've missed a big opportunity tonight."

The result means Wolves have won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since April, with Liverpool losing ground in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Watch: DRAMA as Wolves grab late deflected winner

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According to Opta, Andre’s clincher for Wolves was the first time a team in the relegation zone has scored a 90th-minute winner against the reigning Premier League champions.

Conceding late goals is a trend Slot has been unable to arrest this season.

Liverpool have lost five Premier League games to stoppage-time goals this term, the most by any side in a single campaign in the competition's history.

Slot told TNT Sports: "It's a bad result, far from a good first half. In the second half, there was a bit more urgency, getting closer and closer to scoring a goal, then conceding with the first moment they arrived around our box. We immediately struck back, first off the post, then with Mo, then we were twice close to making a winner.

Watch as Edwards goes 'full Mourinho' with celebratory touchline sprint

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"In the end, we conceded a deflected shot, which was not even a chance.

"We hardly conceded a chance, created not so much but more than they did, but the result is again a 2-1 loss.

"We are losing far too many football games and dropping points. Was it again in extra time that we conceded? The three times we lost in the last 22 games were all three in extra time."

McCoist: Molineux has become a difficult place

Wolves, who host Liverpool again in the Emirates FA Cup on Friday - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - remain bottom of the Premier League but have picked up four points in their past two home games.

A superb comeback in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal and a fine 2-0 win over Aston Villa have breathed life into Rob Edwards' tenure.

TNT Sports commentator Ally McCoist reflected: "It's quite remarkable, it really is. You look around this place and they have had a really, really tough season but they are playing for each other and they are playing for the fans.

"Look what Wolves did to Arsenal. Certainly in the last few weeks, Molineux has been a difficult place to come. They defended exceptionally well and when they got their chance, they took it. A great night for them."

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