{"id":523671,"date":"2026-03-07T01:33:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T01:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/523671\/"},"modified":"2026-03-07T01:33:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T01:33:08","slug":"robertson-and-salah-help-liverpool-to-redemption-over-wolves-in-fa-cup-tie-fa-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/523671\/","title":{"rendered":"Robertson and Salah help Liverpool to redemption over Wolves in FA Cup tie | FA Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"

This time around, Liverpool made no mistake at Molineux. They stayed on the road to Wembley, thanks to two players signed in 2017, beloved veterans with uncertain futures. Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah scored the goals to ease the pain of Tuesday\u2019s Premier League defeat<\/a> before Curtis Jones\u2019s strike completed a night of relative comfort. Wolves crashed back to the reality of eight remaining top-flight matches before the drop. Their goal from Hwang Hee-chan came far too late.<\/p>\n

While Arne Slot expresses disappointment at the Premier League\u2019s entertainment levels, a verdict hostage to fortune on Tuesday, his starting selection suggested an FA Cup<\/a> exit would not be countenanced. Winning the trophy will not offer full job security but losing twice at the top flight\u2019s bottom club in three days, a potentially telling blow, was avoided.<\/p>\n

Even in victory, Slot could not get Tuesday from his mind. \u201cOf course it is the perfect response when you look at the result but every stat is exactly the same as three days ago,\u201d he said. \u201cThere were a lot of similarities between this game and three days ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Only a last-minute change of heart prevented Robertson from joining Tottenham in January. A lucky escape for the player and the club he continues to serve with such distinction. \u201cA bit more like it,\u201d Robertson said. \u201cI\u2019m not sure if I have a point to prove in a Liverpool<\/a> shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n

His head coach agreed: \u201cHe loves the club and he loves playing in front of these fans. Robbo has given his everything for this club. That\u2019s again what he did tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Salah was sluggish in the first half, his well-taken goal echoed the player he once was and perhaps still can be. \u201cIt\u2019s important for attackers to score,\u201d said Slot. \u201cIf they don\u2019t score for a long time they are always going to try and force it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hwang Hee-chan scores in added time to provide some consolation for the Wolves supporters. Photograph: Martin Rickett\/PA<\/p>\n

With Hugo Ekitik\u00e9 benched, Cody Gakpo led Liverpool\u2019s attack. Rio Ngumoha filled the Dutchman\u2019s usual left-wing role to impressive effect. Liverpool have missed Florian Wirtz and his return as a second-half substitute was another welcome sight for Slot. \u201cNow I can affect the game more from the bench,\u201d he said, pointedly mentioning Liverpool\u2019s injury list.<\/p>\n

In Molineux\u2019s Stan Cullis Stand, two paintings of Diogo Jota, by the former Wolves captain Jody Craddock, were unveiled, emphasising the long shadow cast over both clubs by the loss of a close friend to Robertson and Salah.<\/p>\n

Salah\u2019s strike on Tuesday, his first for Liverpool in the league since November, did not have an immediate regenerative effect. Though after a first half littered with wrestling at corners and long shots, he and his teammates eventually exuded a confidence rarely viewed during Slot\u2019s difficult second album, even if this was a seventh win in nine matches.<\/p>\n

Six minutes from the restart Ngumoha began a counter and, after Salah\u2019s intelligent run pulled four defenders out of position, Curtis Jones dabbed the ball for Robertson to rip his shot beyond Sam Johnstone.<\/p>\n

Then came Salah\u2019s moment of salvation, though he was asked to wait. The video assistant referee, recommissioned for the FA Cup fifth round, eventually ruled Salah was onside when converting Robertson\u2019s cross. The instincts have not fully deserted the Egyptian. He had insisted to the linesman his timing had been, in fact, perfect. Correctly so.<\/p>\n

Mohamed Salah tucks away Liverpool\u2019s second goal. Photograph: Liverpool FC\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cMo is hardly ever offside,\u201d said Slot. \u201cSo when the linesman raised the flag I was straight away questioning it.\u201d Salah kissed the turf in thanks, soon departing to applause, alongside a visibly tired Ngumoha, as Wirtz was introduced.<\/p>\n

Progress to the quarter-finals was soon enough confirmed. Jones, seconds previously, had filled in for the perpetual motion of Dominik Szoboszlai, nominally right-back but covering as much of the Molineux turf as possible. Back into midfield, interchanging with Ryan Gravenberch, Jones curled the ball home.<\/p>\n

Rob Edwards has performed a remarkable feat in energising the support of a club headed downwards but there would be no repeat of Tuesday\u2019s wild celebration. Having Andr\u00e9, that evening\u2019s winning goalscorer, missing through suspension was unhelpful. \u201cNot a tough one to take, the better team won tonight,\u201d said Edwards. \u201cI have no qualms or excuses. To win one of the games we have to take a big positive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such was Liverpool\u2019s comfort Virgil van Dijk was removed from proceedings, though so too was Alexis Mac Allister, after a heavy challenge by Hwang. Trey Nyoni\u2019s and Kieran Morrison\u2019s arrivals signalled cameos for Liverpool fledglings on a night where a pair of club legends showed their continued value.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This time around, Liverpool made no mistake at Molineux. They stayed on the road to Wembley, thanks to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":523672,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[563],"tags":[64,63,596,85],"class_list":["post-523671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-football","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/523671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=523671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/523671\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/523672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=523671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=523671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=523671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}