Football Daily - The Debrief: Resurgent Wolves strike late to beat Liverpool

Episode Date: March 4, 2026

Ben Mee, Stephen Warnock and Ian Dennis join Kelly Cates to react to a busy night in the Premier League - headlined by bottom club Wolves beating Liverpool 2-1 at Molineux thanks to Andre's late winner.With the two meeting again in the FA Cup in a few days' time, how much of a boost is this for Wolves, and how damaging is it for Arne Slot and Liverpool?Elsewhere, Everton boosted their European hopes with a rare home win against Burnley, Sunderland reach the 40-point mark with a win at Leeds and it finished goalless between Bournemouth and Brentford.TIMECODES: 00:07 - Wolves stun Liverpool 08:09 - Wolves boss Rob Edwards speaks to Chris Sykes 11:05 - Arne Slot reacts to a tough night 13:59 - Everton ease past Burnley 14:22 - David Moyes dreaming of Europe 18:09 - Leeds beaten at home by Sunderland 19:05 - Sunderland's Luke O'Nien speaks to Conor McNamara 21:29 - Bournemouth 0-0 Brentford happened

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Bring more gear, carry more passengers, face greater challenges. Welcome to the world of Defender, with seating up to eight, ample cargo space, and legendary off-road capability. It's built to make the most of every adventure. Learn more at landrover.ca. This is not the future we were promised. Like, how about that for a tagline for the show? From the BBC, this is the interface, the show is that. explores how tech is rewiring your week and your world.

This isn't about quarterly earnings or about tech reviews. It's about what technology is actually doing to your work and your politics, your everyday life. And all the bizarre ways people are using the internet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Football Daily podcast, The Debrief with Kelly Cates. Well, Arna Slott said earlier in the week that the Premier League isn't a joy to watch. And certainly for about 80 minutes, neither was that game. But an incredible end to the match at Mollinue.

Wolves going in front, Liverpool getting back into it. And then that late, late winner for the home side. What an incredible week for Wolves Ben Me. They beat Aston Villa on Friday. They've beaten the champions. And it could get even better because they play Liverpool again in the FA Cup at Mollinue on Friday. Yeah, great. those wolves players, great to Rob Edwards there.

I think the substitutions made a real big impact in that game. The last 20 minutes, they were magnificent. And obviously got the goal, which set the game I like really. Liverpool came back and Jose Sa made a really good save onto the post. Probably should have saved the goal as well, I felt. But the first save was magnificent. And then to go on and win the game after losing a goal to come back 1-1, fantastic for them

and yeah it's a good atmosphere there when it gets going also with us of course Stephen Warnock and Ian Dennis are at Mullenew Denno it wasn't much to write home about in terms of your match report for the first

what 80 minutes and then it caught fire it did I mean Ben's just talked about the substitutions he gave wolves a lot of energy their game plan worked to a T they nullified Liverpool they played with a false nine they were hard to break down Liverpool all

the possession didn't really create anything. They brought the substitutions on. A Rockadara gave them a little bit of a focal point, and it was his layoff towards Rodrigo Gomez, who got the first goal with 12 minutes remaining, racing away, good composed finish, little dink finish over Allison. And then Sala, five minutes later,

after a Belagard mistake, and O'Benz saying as well, as Stephen did, that Sarr should have made the save in his near post. That came from a Belagard mistake that gave Liverpool the equalizer, then five minutes later. And then just that shot there from Andre.

First goal for the club. First in English football. Wicked deflection off Joe Gomez. And all of a sudden now, and you think that wolves had collected two points from the first 18 games, they've now taken 14 points from their last 12. Back-to-back wins in the Premier League

for the first time since April. And you remember, Kelly, the mood around Molyneux a few years ago, completely transformed now. And the last time the bottom-place Premier League side beat the raining champions, October 2017, when Crystal Palace beat Chelsea at Selhurst Park. The performances this season from Liverpool have not overall been great, although they've

had their moments, moment, Stephen. But this was so slow and so laboured. And I know that you said in commentary that if anybody deserved to win it, it was wolves. And yet when you look at the statistics from the game, everything is heavily weighted in favour of of Liverpool in terms of shots, in terms of shots on target, in terms of how much of the ball they had, successful, everything. Why didn't it look like that on the ground? Because it's slow and it's laboured. And whenever you watch Liverpool at the moment, it's almost like they have to go a goal

behind to lift themselves. Well, I think we're so used to watching a Juergen Klopp Liverpool in the way that they play. And even last year, I thought they played with a better tempo in the way that they attack teams. This season, it seems like they want to control the ball more. and it just allows teams to get set. I think if you're playing against them, I think if you can get back into position quite quickly,

they're actually, it's not easy to play against, but it's easier. But the chances that they created, I mean, there was probably four of note that were decent chances, but I still look at it and think, Inge Moe's opportunity. What else was there?

I'm struggling to think. There was the one with a corner on the right. It was flicked on at the near pose. Yeah, but it's a corner. It's nothing in. open play is it and that's the thing is that a lot of it is yeah that was that was a good opportunity but i don't look at liverpool and think god they're hard to play against whereas last year they were and underclot they were but at the moment they seem a little bit soft there's a softness

about them and i i mean i don't know what ben thinks but i'd enjoy sort of roughing them up a little bit at the moment if i was playing against them that there seems that that element where every time there's a tackle looking around and wanting a little bit of protection from the referee and when you see that you think there we've got them here well you felt Sir Vossela I was like that didn't you for the which turned out to be the Wall's winning goal absolutely yeah

I think a little bit of a lack of desire lack of desire lack of intensity a little bit lacking there I think the last goal probably summed it up a little bit Alison's clearance and you kind of go from the halfway line to the edge of the box without a challenge really and Liverpool players getting out to him and going to press him and looking to want

to get that ball back quickly and have that intensity to go and win it back and you end up having a shot on goal which shouldn't really trouble anybody. Obviously a little deflection there and you end up losing the game. The question that Stephen was asking as well of him or saying about himself and asking of you was would you enjoy that? Would you enjoy going in and being physical against a Liverpool side who, as you say,

possibly lacking in desire or in commitment to the game? I think certainly when you're playing against the top side, you're looking for a little bit of weakness and if you do sense that, you definitely want to go and exploit it. And I think, you know, season's gone past, it's been difficult to find many weaknesses with this Liverpool side. They play quick, they play with intensity, the attack with pace and tempo. But, yeah, they just didn't seem to be there tonight. And I think Wolves sort of sniffed. I think Rob Edwards sort of sensed it as well with his substitutions.

It went really positive and got after the game, really, and probably felt like they could go on and win it, which obviously they ended up doing. Yeah, in spectacular fashion as well. In terms of substitutions, the introduction of Curtis Jones at half time seemed to make a difference for Liverpool, Stephen, and also bringing on Rio and Gomoa, who Liverpool fans want to see more of in games. It brought back a little bit of that pace around the box that Ben was saying that Liverpool are capable of, but didn't show in most of the game this evening. Yeah, I think Curtis does that well when he gets himself advanced beyond midfield as he's got great passing, but he passes the ball at speed.

I think Liverpool fans are a little bit critical of him at times, so holding on to the ball too long at times. And there is elements of that, but when he does play quickly, he's so hard to play against because he sees things so quickly. It's just sometimes if players are on the same wavelength as him, and that's a worry. Enga Moe is always going to come on and lose the ball at times because he's a little bit young and naive.

And I think sometimes you feel like you can just take everyone on like you can in youth football, and it's not quite like that. He'll learn. It's a great experience for him tonight to understand how tough it is to play against the team who's battling at the bottom end of the league and I'm fighting for everything. But I'd be more worried about Cody Gapot, about Mohammed Sala. I know Sala got his goal tonight, but he was very quiet in the game. Echateke was starved of any service. And my biggest concern with this Liverpool team is the midfield area. Gravenberg is nowhere near where he was last year. McAllister is nowhere near where he's up. it was last year. And they were arguably

Liverpool's two most important players last year. Everyone looks at the goals that Salah got. But they controlled that midfield. And when we talk about team being hard to play against, McAllister's turnovers in possession

last year was incredible. The amount of balls that he won back. But also as well, the way he controlled the pace of the game, this year, those two have really struggled in midfield. And if you're struggling in midfield in the Premier League, it's very, very difficult.

As Liverpool found out to their cost against wolves at Mollon, with that late, late winner from Andre, deflected off Joe Gomez, there were several Gomez on the pitch, so I had to hit one of them. It was 2-1 to Wolves at the end of the game. Incredible victory for them.

Let's hear from Wool's manager, Rob Edwards. Yeah, very proud. Really good night again for the football club. Thought the first half, we did really well to make sure that we slowed the game down. We remained in the game, whilst being really aggressive with our defending when we can. If you become passive, then Liverpool are going to kill you.

So we defended well, limited them to very little, right in the game where we wanted it to be. And we felt we could get stronger in the second half. That's what we've been doing. Game starts to open up, more pressure on the opposition to try and win and push forward. Space is open and yeah, we were able to find a way to win the game. I think what makes me most proud is the fact that once Liverpool got back in the game, we didn't go under, we didn't give up.

I think most people would say, look, if there's going to be one more game now, it's going to go to Liverpool. But for us to show the character and quality and the belief to keep pushing, makes me really proud. And we could see just how much it meant when that injury time ago went in the race down the touchline, Marino-esque, wasn't it? I mean, it clearly meant so much to you.

It did. It's a big moment. And we've got to enjoy it. You don't, you know, Liverpool are an amazing football club and a huge football club with a brilliant manager, brilliant players. And to beat them, you've got to enjoy that moment. So only a few nights ago

doing the same thing because we beat Villa as well. And so it's been a great. It's been a good couple of days for us. We've got to try and keep this going. Ben, we talked before the games even got underway this evening about the motivation of being at the wrong end of the table. We'll get into a stage now where it looks as though it's all over for Wolves.

Opta did their super and computer and had a look at the fixture they've got remaining and gave them a 100% chance of getting relegated at the end of the season. And yet they turn up and they put in that performance against Liverpool that is so full of focus and determination. and commitment and come away from it with all three points. When they play them on Friday in the FA Cup, there is an immediate reward and stake. So if they can go in with this commitment to a game in the Premier League

where, you know, realistic there's not too much to play for. Imagine what they're going to do on Friday. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, for these players, there's still plenty to play for. There's still plenty of people watching. There's the home crowd, the pressures of them wanting a performance. that they've not received, I guess, for the most of the season. So there's a little bit of payback for them, I guess.

And individually, there's opportunities to impress other teams. Some players might be looking to try and stay in the Premier League, for example, and going in that route. But, yeah, obviously Friday is a massive game. And it can, I guess, turn a season into a small positive, I guess. If they go far in the FA Cup and do well, it could be a big positive and get something out of the season for the fans for themselves as well

and Rob Ebers is I'm sure we'll send that message across and I'm sure they'll be looking forward to Friday after tonight. Let's get some reaction now from the Liverpool boss, Arna Slot. If you're not frustrated after this after losing it in the battle where we are in where points are so precious

if you lose it then the way we lost it so as I said we definitely didn't pray great but I think that if you play the same game 10 times, you don't lose it 10 times. But we need to do better, we need to be better and that's why I assume with the players but definitely for me this is a big frustration again. Where in particular do you want to see improvement?

No, I think we have recently we've scored mainly from set pieces and we are the team that creates most chances from open play but we really really really really struggle to score from these chances. So if you keep aside all the goals we've scored recently in the in in in in in 20206 and the the goals we scored from set pieces we hardly can see we hardly score the goal and that's that's something we have to improve but i also think we need with all the ball possession we are we should and need to be able to create even more than we do but yeah uh scoring goals is is vital in football and that is that is something we are not doing well enough stephen what do liverpool need to do between now and friday to make sure that there isn't

another repeat. I think there's going to have to be a few harsh words said in the changing room, that the tempo of the games in which they play has to be upped from the off and it can't be reactionary to what goes on if a team scores before them and then they suddenly decide that they step up the gears and try and up the tempo. It has to be from the off. They're the better team. They've got the better players,

but it just feels like it's so lethargic when you watch Liverpool and like we said, easy to play against. So that has to be upped. And if they up the tempo, they're a difficult team to play against. And the other thing I'd say is, is I'm not sure on the situation of Florian Virz, but they need him back

because they need that creative edge in midfield and someone who can retain the ball. That game between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool in the FA Cup is live on BBC One and also on five live sport on Friday evening. This is not the future we were promised. Like, how about that for a tagline for the show?

From the BBC, this is The Interface, the show that explores how tech is rewiring your week and your world. This isn't about quarterly earnings or about tech reviews. It's about what technology is actually doing to your work and your politics, your everyday life. And all the bizarre ways people are using the internet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Steve Bracknell here, the assistant manager of Sunday League team, the Royal Oak FC.

Are you sick of changes to our beautiful game? Five minute stoppages for VAR checks. VARB talking points again after a five minute plus delay. Cryotherapy ice chambers. Owls in back at socks. XG double pivots and inverted wing backs. The game's well and truly gone and I'm here to bring it back. Games gone.

The Steve Bracknell podcast. Listen, on BBC Sounds. the Football Daily podcast. The debrief with Kelly Cates. Elsewhere on Tuesday in the Premier League, it finished goalless between Bournemouth and Brentford. Everton, with a 2-0 victory against Burnley and Leeds, beaten 1-0 at home by Sunderland.

Let's start with Everton. It's not been great at home for them, but it was a 2-0 victory for them over Burnley. That is back-to-back wins now for Everton. So can they start dreaming of European football for the first time in eight years? Here's David Moyes. I don't know if it's the league position

which is the hugely important. It's the points that are hugely important. We've got an idea of what sort of points might be needed if you're going to have any chance of making it. But why would we not? What are we going to talk about? We're not going to talk about being a mid-table team. We want to talk about trying to be

in amongst some of the teams who are challenging for European play season. I don't think we're miles off. We may not be there coming the end of the season but I want the players to believe I want Evertonians to believe that we're trying to get better and improve. Does it excite you?

That's why you can. back right? Hugely. Absolutely. I've got to say I had probably the best years at West Ham

because of the European football. Final, semi-final, quarter-final, big games, full stadiums. And I think it's

even more important for clubs who haven't been in Europe for a long time but I've been before because the generations pass it down and let them know.

And I actually think this place would be sold out for every game if we get back to Europe. Stephen, what are the chances of European football at Hill Dickinson's

Stadium? Everton in eighth place, one point behind seventh place, Brentford, two points behind Chelsea, who admittedly have a game in hand on them, and five points behind Liverpool in fifth. It is congested in terms of the European spots. Yeah, it certainly is, but with David Moyes and his experience, and he can lean on that experience as much as he can, with his staff who are vastly experienced as well,

with Alan Irvine, part of that staff. They've been there before, like he says, with West Ham, so they've done that side of it. But you've got to look at the roof. recruitment that they they bought in in the summer. It was brilliant. I mean, Dewsbury Hall got the goal got a goal tonight. I think he's been arguably one of the signings of the summer. A lot of people look at him. You need workhorses in the midfield, but also that possessed quality. That can get your goals as well. And I think they've just

got a sprinkling of game changes as well within him and GGI and people like that. But also, they've got a really strong backbone, a good goalkeeper as well. So they've got the ingredients to get across the line. I think the big thing is is just can they, I know they won tonight at the Hill Dickinson, but if they can turn that home form into more victories at home and not rely so heavily on the away form, I think

they could sneak in. Meanwhile, for Burnley, the bottom of the table looks like this. Wolves got that win against Liverpool to put them on to 16 points after 30 games. Burnley have played 29. They've got 19 points. Then it's West Ham inside the bottom three. Play 28, 25 points.

And Notting Forest just outside. Played 28, 27 points. That gap between Wolves and Burnley is narrowing at pace, Ben. Where do you think this result leaves Burnley? And where do they find that kind of the sort of focus that we've seen from wolves even in a difficult situation?

Yeah, there's been a little bit of a shifting momentum, I guess, Burnley on the downward slope and wolves coming up. But I think for Burnley, the concern is just getting that next win, getting them points on the board. I think they just need to, yeah, focus on that. They can't really, we were talking about focusing on the teams, you know,

out of the relegation zone, that one place trying to get someone in. But, you know, after tonight, I think they just need to focus on trying to just get that win. Next win. Games are running out for them themselves. And yeah, it's not looking great. I think confidence is low watching them tonight. They were, they were poor. Everton were dominant.

You know, not many. I don't think they keep possession as much as they have. in most games, Everton, than they did tonight. So it'd be really disappointing. And yeah, they need to improve the form away from home for sure and try and pick up as many points from their home games where they're not too bad and put up a little bit of a fight. But tonight they rolled over a little bit

and it'll be really disappointed with their performance. One side who has been getting a lot of points or a large percentage of their points at home at Leeds United, but that wasn't the case for them against Sunderland. There was an opportunity, Stephen, for them to go nine points clear of the relegation places. They're now six points above West Ham,

but, crucially, West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham below them have all played a game fewer than them. It felt like a big one this. Yeah, it did. And listening to the updates from Sarah, it sounded like Leeds dominated the game and probably should have won the game.

They had the disallowed goal from Joe Rodin, which probably gave Sunderland a little bit of belief that they could get something out of it. But yeah, it's a little bit of a sucker punch tonight for Leeds, but they've got to take the positives from the form of late and how dangerous they are and how difficult they are to play against. I don't fear anything for Leeds. I think they've got more than enough quality within their team to survive this season.

Let's hear from Sunderland's Luke O'Neine. I just said on the pitch, it was, in my opinion, kind of two of the best fans in the league. And you saw that stay. They're the games you want to play in the atmosphere. It's just special. You remember them days. So, yeah, just really proud of the boys and, yeah, a special day.

Yeah, you got the player of the match award, your first Premier League start. You've waited a long time for this. I'm not really sure I won this. I think my only stat I won was probably most booed, apart from that. Listen, the boys in front of me, they looked after me, they know how much I've wanted this start

and how much this team means to me. So the boys have been pushing me every day. We've got one hell of a group, and I'm just proud to being this team. Different ways to win a game. Sometimes you'll create lots of chances. Sometimes you've just got to take the one or two that come your way.

This was probably one of the secondary ones. I'm not sure if it was the previous game. I'm not sure how many people will be watching that back or I don't know if there's going to be a lot of highlights for a match of the day, but sometimes you've got to grind it out 12 minutes extra time at this place. I've never seen anything like it before. So, yeah, just the boys were super, and we've got

our 40 points target now. It's time to set a new target. Yeah, I was going to say, because look, you've won so many friends this season as a team, the results of the first half of the campaign were so good. I mean, you're up in second place in the league at one stage. Because there'd been a little wobble later, does this feel extra sweet now to get back to winning ways? Yeah, listen, there's no wobble. It's game by game.

When we win, when we lose, when we draw, we watch it all back. We try to get better as a team. As long as this team keeps moving forward, which you do, probably more in losses. They're just important. So teams are a nice spot. We need to kind of now regroup and make a new target for ourselves. Sondland, as we talked about before the game, had put all that effort in at the start of the season,

giving themselves a really good cushion, Ben, to get themselves in a good position. And they did have that dip. But this was a really well-needed three points. Yeah, since it turned. of the year, I think they've won two games. So they've been on a little bit of a downward spiral, but going away to Ellen Road,

being under pressure for most of the game and coming away with a 1-0 victory, you know, you probably didn't deserve. But it'll do a massive, it'd be a massive boost for that team going into the final stage of the season. And I think, you know, they've had a fantastic year. I think first and foremost, the, obviously, the aim is to stay in the Premier League.

And I think, obviously, now they can start planning next year and the recruitment side of that. They'll probably go again next year and improve on that. And yeah, there have been a side that have certainly impressed throughout the season and I think they'll have a strong end of the year after this result.

And of course there was that goal of straw between Bournemouth and Brentford. It means that Bournemouth are in ninth place with 40 points. And Brentford's still very much in the mix for Europe, 44 points for them. They're in seventh place, having played 29 games. The midweek commentaries continue.

on Wednesday on 5 Live and BBC Sounds. We've got everything covered. This is the plan. 7.30 is Brighton against Arsenal. Then Newcastle against Manchester United. It kicks off at 815. It starts on Sports Extra 3. So you'll be able to listen to all of Brighton and Arsenal.

Then the second half of Newcastle, Manchester United. There's also Manchester City against Nottingham Forest on Sports Extra at 730. Astonville against Chelsea is on Sports Extra 2. And Fulham against West Ham is on the B. BBC website and app. It took a little while to get going in some of those games, but in the end, a very entertaining evening in the Premier League. Thank you very much to Ben Me.

Thank you very much to Stephen Warnock and Ian Dennis at Molyneux. Next up on the Football Daily Feed is 72 plus. I'm Rich Hall, and this is Sports Strangest Crimes presents Confessions of a Super Bowl streaker. When people ask me what I do, I say to them, well, by day or by night. The story of one man's mission to conquer the holy grail of streaking the Super Bowl. Mark Roberts is too lively for his body. He's just like the entertainer. Mark pushes the boundaries of what is socially acceptable.

No chance, Texas. It's really strict, but then the more of those about it. No, I thought, I'm not. What are you about? Sports Strangers Crimes presents Confessions of a Super Bowl streaker. Listen on BBC Sounds. This is not the future we were promised. Like, how about that for a tagline for the show?

From the BBC, this is the interface, the show that explores how tech is rewiring your week and your world. This isn't about quarterly earnings or about tech reviews. It's about what technology is actually doing to your work and your politics, your everyday life. And all the bizarre ways people are using the internet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.