The same game and, who would have guessed, there was another injury time goal for the home team at the same end of the pitch.
Much to Arne Slot’s immense relief, however, the result was anything but the same. As was the case on Tuesday, Liverpool had plenty of the ball and had Wolves hemmed in their own half for much of the contest but, this time, plenty of goals followed; there would be no second calamity.
Slot hasn’t had a surfeit of comfortable evenings in this lopsided campaign but how this result was welcome, as Liverpool flattened inferior opponents in the clinical, professional manner that had been anticipated 72 hours earlier.
‘This isn’t tough to take,’ Wolves boss Rob Edwards said. ‘The better team won.’
Still, Slot was thankful, though, to a man who, six weeks, looked like his days at Liverpool player were over: Andrew Robertson has struggled with his lack of minutes this season, so much so that he was prepared top join Tottenham in January, but he made up for it here.
Robertson is a keen golfer and the left-footed shot he dispatched in the 52nd minute was struck with the purity of a drive that fizzes out the middle of a club and bounds down a fairway. There looked to be some anger behind it and his wide-eyed stare, as others celebrated, spoke volumes.
Andrew Robertson scored a superb opener to help Liverpool beat Wolves 3-1 in the FA Cup
Robertson has struggled with a lack of minutes this season and there seemed to be some anger behind the strike
The full back quickly turned provider for Mohamed Salah to double Liverpool’s advantage
He loves the club and he loves to play in front of these fans,’ Slot acknowledged. ‘Robbo has in the one and a half years I am here given everything for the club and the fans will say he did it in all the years I was here. If you talk about a goal and an assist, the last player you would say is a full-back.’
He was instrumental in the decisive second goal, too, drawing a ball across the face of the six-yard box that Mo cracked into the roof of the net – quite why a 90 second delay was required from VAR to determine its legitimacy can only be surmised but at least they got the decision right.
As did Liverpool. Losing once at this stadium was careless in the extreme, to lose twice in such short proximity would have been a calamity but on they march, trundling forward in the competition that offers their most realistic chance of success. You suspect, quietly, they will fancy it, too.
When they play as they did in the second period, when the passes ping and the interchanging is like the cogs of a clock, you wonder why it has been such a difficult watch at times but then you think of what happened on Tuesday – and in the opening 45 minutes – and it all becomes apparent.
Back at the scene of crime, there was never any doubt that Liverpool were going to be reminded of what happened and the persistent chanting of “2-1 to the Championship!” from Molineux’s South Bank was nothing than salt being rubbed into wounds.
There had, inevitably, been much talk about this being a perfect fixture for Liverpool to get that experience out of their system but what was it based on? For so much of this campaign, the team has been like an out of frequency radio, occasionally sounding right but so often jumpy.
Wolves had it within them to capitalise. Nothing about how they have played since Edwards has arrived would make you think they were the worst team in the Premier League and, in so many ways, this was a free hit for them. What did they have to lose?
Quickly, though, it became apparent this wouldn’t be a free-flowing dust up. Wolves were intent on doing as they had done three days earlier – a narrow block, in three clear lines, limiting space – and Liverpool don’t have many options out wide to stretch opponents.
Curtis Jones added a third for Liverpool to help them banish the demons of losing to Wolves in midweek
Salah has now scored in successive matches, while the victory eased pressure on Slot
Hwang Hee-Chan grabbed a consolation goal for Wolves in stoppage time at Molineux
One such option is Rio Ngumoha and, after much clamour, gave the 17-year-old the start many wanted to see and it was he, after a jinking run and a step inside, who had the first shot of the game in the 10th minute, one beaten away by Sam Johnstone.
Ngumoha, with his youth and vibrancy, finds a crackle accompanying his every move on a pitch. Things seem to happen when he is introduced from the bench and he has the trait all defenders hate, a stepover followed by a dart to the left or the right.
He would grow into the game and it was fitting that he would start the five man move, after the break, that saw Cody Gakpo find Salah, who in turn ushered the ball onto Curtis Jones before teeing up Robertson for a good, old thwack. It was a goal from the moment it left his boot.
With their confidence up, Liverpool went hunting for more. Again Ngumoha invited Robertson to overlap, he saw an old pal at the back post and now Salah has two goals in two games; his celebration was a joyous as Jones, who ended the contest with a smart finish.
Wolves, eventually, would have a shot and, like Tuesday, their first one led to a goal but, here, there was no juddering consequence. Liverpool remain in the hat. It was all they could do.
