Jurgen Klopp welcomes Liverpool return to winning ways after run of six league defeats in seven ends at Molineux; Liverpool up to sixth and to within five points of the top four; Klopp: "We won three dirty points, and I'm fine with that if that's what it takes to try to get back on track."
Tuesday 16 March 2021 11:58, UK
Jurgen Klopp saluted Liverpool's win-by-any-means attitude as they secured a "dirty three points" at Wolves to close on the top four.
Diogo Jota haunted his former club with the winner at Molineux in first-half stoppage-time as the champions claimed only their second Premier League win in eight games.
The victory moves Liverpool up to sixth in the table, five points outside of the top four, and Klopp highlighted the significance of restoring the winning feeling in his squad ahead of a three-week international break.
"It's all about the result," he told Sky Sports. "It was a big fight. We won three dirty points, and I'm fine with that if that's what it takes to try to get back on track.
"We had very good moments where we should have done better offensively. Defensively the whole game was really good.
"I didn't like the start; we weren't active enough. But we improved a lot and defended well, and that was the main target today."
Jota marked his first return to Wolves since his summer switch to Anfield with the game's decisive goal as the Portuguese became only the second player after Stephen Hunt to score both for and against Wolves in the Premier League.
Klopp added: "There were a lot of really good football moments. The goal we scored was beautiful.
"I thought the goalie would have saved it but in the end the ball goes in, which was important for us. We got the three points, and everything was fine.
"It's been hard for the team, but there was a lot of good news tonight and, most important, we got the three points. We want to go into the [international] break with a positive feeling and we have it."
Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football:
"It feels like there's going to be a real fight for the top and relegation places this season. At this moment, I still don't believe Liverpool will get into the top four and will just miss out.
"But when we talk about the teams at the bottom and someone has that little late run and makes the other teams feel nervous - that's what Liverpool have to do in these next couple of weeks. Make Leicester feel nervous, make Chelsea feel nervous with the positions they're in right now and almost take this to the wire.
"All the teams are playing each other and it's impossible for anyone to get maximum points because there's that many teams involved in this race for the top four.
"It was a massive result for Liverpool tonight in terms of potential top four because a lot of teams around that position lost points at the weekend.
"They've put themselves into sixth, there's still a way to go, but there's still plenty of games to go. That's what Liverpool need to do - be in a position where they can jump if someone makes a mistake."
Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio was conscious after being knocked out in a sickening late collision.
The goalkeeper needed 14 minutes of treatment on the pitch and oxygen following an accidental collision with team-mate Conor Coady late on.
Patricio was carried off on a stretcher in worrying scenes which brought back distressing memories for Wolves, who remain without striker Raul Jimenez after he fractured his skull in a clash of heads at Arsenal in November.
"He is OK, he is awake, he is conscious," Nuno said. "He's speaking and remembers what happened. He is in good hands, he is being assessed by the doctors.
"You have to take the right precautions, but he is OK. It was a collision with the knee of Coady, a big knock to his head but he is OK.
"We have to wait (before knowing whether he will miss games) and the following hours are important, he is going to be with the doctors, and we have to wait for what's happening. These situations can happen, even in a normal situation of the game."
On Wolves' performance, Nuno added: "We played a good game, we competed well. We should do better with the final touch and final passes, but there was a good attitude and we fought until the end. They competed and gave everything they had.
"It's very difficult to play against Liverpool because they have danger of speed, so we always have to be balanced. But at the same time, we will be able to recover the ball and take some risks. The result was not good, but the attitude was fantastic.
"It's the same target for the season that we always have: improvement, competing well, trying to adjust some things. There are still a lot of games to played, a lot of football to be played so competing, improving and taken us to the end in a good way."
