There'll be tears at Anfield tomorrow. Not because Liverpool might lose—they absolutely won't—but because the Kop will say goodbye to one of their own for the final time.
Diogo Jota's tragic passing in July left a void that no signing could fill. His two young sons will walk out as matchday mascots, a moment that will have even the hardest supporters reaching for the tissues. Wolves were his first English club, making this fixture painfully poetic.
Right then, let's talk football before I start blubbering.
This should be the easiest three points Arne Slot's ever picked up. Wolves are absolutely dreadful. Rock bottom with TWO points from SEVENTEEN games. They've equaled the worst start to a Premier League season in history. Sheffield United's infamous 2021 side are looking down from the dizzy heights of historical mediocrity thinking "blimey, that's rough."
Ten defeats on the bounce. TEN! Rob Edwards might be a lovely bloke, but his record since replacing Vitor Pereira is about as inspiring as cold turkey leftovers. The only reason Wolves haven't already been relegated is because mathematically it's still December.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have finally remembered how to win consecutive games. Three straight victories have lifted the mood around Anfield, and Hugo Ekitiké looks like the real deal upfront. The French lad's been compared to Fernando Torres—and before you scoff, he's actually matching Torres's debut season stats almost goal for goal.
Here's where it gets complicated though. Mo Salah's off at the Africa Cup of Nations, which means Liverpool's greatest goalscorer won't be leading the line. Alexander Isak broke his fibula at Spurs—proper nasty injury that'll keep him out for months. And Dominik Szoboszlai earned himself a ban for accumulating yellow cards. That's three first-choice attacking options gone.
Should that matter against the worst team in the league? Course not. But this is Liverpool we're talking about. They've made a habit this season of turning straightforward fixtures into complicated affairs.
Wolves haven't won at Anfield in the league since 2010, during the Roy Hodgson era that still gives older Kopites nightmares. They've lost 16 of their last 17 meetings. The one exception was a 3-0 hammering at Molineux under Julen Lopetegui in 2023, which feels like ancient history now.
The bookies have Liverpool at 1/4. That's about right. This should finish 3-0 or 4-0, and anything less will feel like a missed opportunity. But with emotions running high and key players missing, don't bet your Christmas bonus just yet.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Wolves. Bring tissues.
