Ian Doyle with the Liverpool verdict from the FA Cup fifth round clash at Wolves on Friday evening

Alexis Mac Allister was helped off the pitch by medical staff during Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Wolves but, speaking after the game, Arne Slot ruled out an injury.

Mac Allister was already set to be replaced by Trey Nyoni late on in Friday’s FA Cup clash at Molineux when he suffered a nasty collision with Hwang Hee-chan.

The Wolves forward’s trailing leg caught the midfielder’s foot and he required treatment on the pitch with director of medicine Jonathan Power attending to him.

But while that sparked immediate concerns over an injury, in his post-match press conference Slot all but confirmed it was not a major issue.

Asked if Mac Allister was OK the head coach replied: “I think so, yeah.”

Who will start for Liverpool vs. Galatasaray?

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That will clearly serve as a boost as Liverpool head into the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash with Galatasaray on Tuesday evening.

Florian Wirtz made his return from a two-game absence as a late substitute against Wolves and with both Joe Gomez and Jeremie Frimpong now fit and able to start, Slot has options in every position again.

All being well he is likely to start Mac Allister alongside Ryan Gravenberch in his usual two-man midfield but could face a decision over which of Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo to start.

Hugo Ekitike will come back in up front in Istanbul and it could be that Slot deploys Wirtz on the left wing and Szoboszlai as his No. 10.

Liverpool are still contending with long-term injuries to Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo and Giovanni Leoni, but Isak is nearing a return following a broken leg.

If the Reds progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League it could be that the Swede is available to face either Chelsea or Paris Saint-Germain in that tie.

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Andy Robertson has been speaking about his lack of playing time at Liverpool this season and the competition with Milos Kerkez

Andy Robertson has been speaking about his lack of playing time at Liverpool this season and the competition with Milos Kerkez

On-the-whistle analysis from Paul Gorst as Liverpool book their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a 3-1 win over Wolves at Molineux

On-the-whistle analysis from Paul Gorst as Liverpool book their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a 3-1 win over Wolves at Molineux

Liverpool got back to winning ways in the FA Cup, picking up a huge victory over Wolves at Molineux, with Rio Ngumoha starring heavily for the Reds in everything they did well on the night.

Luke Thrower Trends Writer

22:29, 06 Mar 2026

Steven Gerrard's call on Rio Ngumoha was proven right in Liverpool's win over Wolves(Image: (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images))

Steven Gerrard was instantly proven right in his call for Arne Slot to bring Rio Ngumoha into the Liverpool starting lineup for the clash with Wolves in the FA Cup on Friday night.

The 17-year-old took the place of Hugo Ekitike in the frontline from the defeat to Wolves earlier in the week in the Premier League, taking up the left-wing role while moving Cody Gakpo centrally. Ngumoha has shown glimpses of quality in his breakout campaign at senior level, though he has largely received minutes from the bench.

The youngster had picked up 414 minutes across all competitions this season, the highlight of which was a last-minute winner over Newcastle United in the Premier League. With Liverpool's struggles in front of goal in recent weeks, there has been a growing call to bring Ngumoha into the mix to help improve the side's creativity.

READ MORE: Dominik Szoboszlai makes humiliating U-turn just days after turning heads at WolvesREAD MORE: Liverpool fans given another painful Luis Diaz reminder while watching ugly Wolves showing

Those calls have only grown louder after the Reds' frustrating defeat to Wolves in midweek, with Gerrard among those believing the England youth international deserved a chance to shine in the FA Cup against the same opposition. He said on TNT Sports in midweek: "He has to start Ngumoha now.

He continued: "He’s doing more in a small space of time than Gakpo is doing in 60 minutes."

Ngumoha was given that opportunity to shine at Molineux in the second game by starting on the left, and he took it with both hands. On the BBC's coverage, the Liverpool starlet was given the Player of the Match award by former player Stephen Warnock, who sang his praises.

Warnock said: "Rio Ngumoha. Brilliant display from him tonight. Big opportunity for him, he's taken it with both hands, given his manager Arne Slot a big decision to make on Tuesday night against Galatasaray."

Rio Ngumoha landed the Player of the Match award during Liverpool's win over Wolves in the FA Cup(Image: (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images))

The winger finished the match with four shots, two of which were on target, along with a 75% dribble success rate and three fouls won in a productive night on the left. He was consistently sharp, even if he didn't get in on the scoring that came from Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones.

It was a much-needed victory for Liverpool to not only banish the demons of Tuesday night's defeat at Molineux, but to keep their hopes of winning a trophy alive as well as regaining some form. While the first half felt like a repeat of that frustrating midweek encounter, the second half had plenty more promising signs, particularly from a creative front.

Now the pressure is on Slot to decide whether he sticks with Ngumoha starting on the left against Galatasaray next week in the Champions League, or whether he reverts to his usual left flank that contains Gakpo. However, the manager may have already put a dampener on his plans with the exciting star with his claim just last week.

He said on the growing calls for him to start: "Let’s be clear, he is a special player that will have more playing time and already has more playing time recently. If everyone thinks he is so good, then he should be in something to talk about again.

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"If he is already good enough to play for us, then he should definitely be, in your opinion. 100% (mindful over lack of under-21s football) - that is what makes it so difficult at the age of these two players (Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni) and where they are at in their development.

"(They are) good enough to come in or to play for us, to be on the bench, (with) our squad not being big enough. So we always need them on the bench and that also means that if you look at his playing time and Trey’s playing time, overall that has not been enough to develop a player ideally in a better way.

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"But that is the downside of having injuries, the downside of they are a bit too good (for the under-21s). Because it would be better for a 17, 18-year-old, because no-one talks about Trey, which is correct because Rio had his special moment, but Trey's development is just as interesting in my opinion. That is the difficult balance for me to find."

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Wolves 1 – 3 Liverpool FA Cup Man of the Match Rio Ngumoha – Liverpool FC Electric Youth Lights Up Molineux On a night where Liverpool needed a response after the disappointing Premier League defeat earlier in the week, it was the fearless energy of Rio Ngumoha that provided the spark. From the opening minutes, […]

The post Man of the Match: ‘Electric’ Liverpool star shines in FA Cup victory appeared first on anfieldindex.com.

Rio Ngumoha was handed his fourth start of the season in Liverpool's FA Cup game against Wolves, and the teenager produced an encouraging performance

22:09, 06 Mar 2026Updated 22:25, 06 Mar 2026

Alan Shearer praised Rio Ngumoha(Image: 2026 Newcastle United)

Liverpool youngster Rio Ngumoha came in for praise from Alan Shearer during a bright showing from the youngster against Wolves on Friday night.

The 17-year-old was handed his fourth start of the season at Molineux, and produced an encouraging performance off the left flank. The game came to life in the second half, with Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones all scoring, but Ngumoha still managed to shine in a drab first half.

His quick feet drew praise from many observers, including Alan Shearer, who was on punditry duty for BBC Sport.

"Again, Liverpool in forward positions other than Rio Ngumoha have been poor," Shearer said. "They have got into decent positions, if it is not the final ball or their desire to get on to it, then it is other things. It has been rather disappointing from Liverpool.

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp's agent forced to respond to Atletico Madrid rumorsREAD MORE: Ryan Gravenberch tells Liverpool teammates what they must do to gain Wolves revenge

"Right from the very first minute, the number of times they got the ball out to Rio Ngumoha. The bright things Liverpool have done have all come from Rio Ngumoha."

Ahead of the game, Arne Slot explained his decision to name Ngumoha among Liverpool's starters. "His playing time has increased a lot, so the next step is if you play five, 10, 15 and 30 minutes, then the next step is starting a game," the Dutchman said.

Michael Owen, who was on punditry duty for TNT Sports, also praised Ngumoha.

"He's direct, which is a great asset to have," Owen said. "He can go either way. Look at someone like Gakpo, he cuts in an awful lot and that can be predictable.

"Whereas Rio can go either way at pace, he is direct and can handle it really well."

Rio Ngumoha during Liverpool's win over Wolves(Image: AFP or licensors)

Speaking after the game, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk praised Ngumoha but was also keen to keep him grounded.

"Very pleased [for him]," Van Dijk said. "Obviously, we all see day in day out how much of a special talent he is, in terms of in one v ones, with the pace he drives at players.

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"He's working hard, he's a good boy. We're looking after him. We speak to him constantly, and he needs to keep learning, soaking it all up and taking that into his progress.

"Today was a good day for him, nothing more nothing less, he has to keep going and onto the next.

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The FA Cup 5th round kicked off with Wolves looking to grab another win over Liverpool, as the reigning Premier League champions fought to reclaim lost form.

The lineup and subsequent ratings are listed below.

Alisson Becker – 7.0

The giant Brazilian stopper was a relative bystander as his team controlled territory and opportunities in the opening 45 minutes.

After the restart, the Reds’ world-class keeper was strong to intercept high balls into the box and the home side looked to attack the box.

Dominik Szoboszlai – 7.0

The Hungarian international was tasked as the starting right back and was able to progress the ball from deep and from wider positions. A stinging shot from distance looked like it might open the scoring.

When the match resumed, the former Bundesliga star was able to bring composure and variety on the ball from deep. Was at fault for the consolation goal as the long punt should have been dealt with.

Andy Robertson – 9.0

The Scotland international was able to move freely up and down the line and ensure he was able to support Rio on the flank.

After the break, the veteran full-back was able to open the scoring with a superb strike from distance. The scorer then assisted with a superb cross moments later.

Joe Gomez – 7.0

The England international was calm and confident from the outset as he used his pace to react to counterattacks.

In the second half, the former Charlton man was always a solid and dependable foil for his skipper.

Virgil van Dijk – 8.0

The captain and leader of this team was steady and vocal as he looked to pin Wolves in their own half.

After the intermission, the former Celtic giant was needed to clear his lines with strong defensive play as Wolves started the half strongly.

Subbed – 80 mins

Alexis Mac Allister – 7.0

The Argentine international was the controller and man tasked with holding the middle ground as others moved to attack space.

After the break, the former Brighton star was again the responsibility-driven entity in the middle.

Subbed – 80 mins

Curtis Jones – 8.0

The England international was able to move around the pitch and press intelligently as part of a midfield three.

In the second half the former academy graduate was always willing to work and his perseverance brought a fine goal with a left-footed effort from the edge of the area.

Ryan Gravenberch – 7.0

The Dutch midfielder was very clever and vibrant on the ball as he tried to move forward with intent.

After the restart, the underperforming star was effective and able to assist Curtis Jones for the third goal of the night.

Rio Ngumoha – 9.0

The teenage attacker was electric and incisive in the first half as he attacked with pure instinct and speed to create opportunities time and time again.

In the second half, the elite potential winger was again delightful and full of invention as he threatened the Wolves’ backline continually.

Subbed – 68 mins

Man of the Match 

Mohamed Salah – 8.0

The record-breaking attacker was a little underused in the first half as much of the play was driven towards the right-hand side and a prodigy half his age.

After the break, the former Chelsea forward was able to hockey assist with good dribbling and awareness for the opening goal. The legendary attacker scored moments later emphatically.

Subbed – 68 mins

Cody Gakpo – 7.0

The Dutch attacker was able to hold the middle and link play as many of the patterns of play were undertaken from wide.

After the intermission, the former PSV star was able to break with pace and allow the counter that brought the opening goal.

Subbed – 85 mins

Substitutions;

Jeremie Frimpong – 7.0 (on 68)

Came on to add pace to the right flank.

Florian Wirtz – 7.0 (on 68)

Came on to bring different levels of threat from wide.

Ibrahima Konaté – 6.0 (on 80)

Came on to add more defensive solidity.

Trey Nyoni – 6.0 (on 80)

Came on to add more energy.

Kieran Morrison – 6.0 (on 85)

Came on to make his FA Cup debut.

The Manager;

Arne Slot – 9.0

The starting lineup was as expected and built to bring a better result than that which unfolded on Tuesday.

The substitutions were well timed and allowed a rest period for some, as well as minutes for others.

Steven Smith’s Pre-match Prediction;

Wolves 1 – 2 Liverpool

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Wolves 1 – 3 Liverpool: FA Cup Player Ratings The FA Cup 5th round kicked off with Wolves looking to grab another win over Liverpool, as the reigning Premier League champions fought to reclaim lost form. The lineup and subsequent ratings are listed below. Alisson Becker – 7.0 The giant Brazilian stopper was a relative […]

The post Player Ratings: Two 9/10’s as Liverpool beat Wolves to reach FA Cup Quarter-Final appeared first on anfieldindex.com.

Ian Doyle with the Liverpool player ratings and scores from the 3-1 FA Cup fifth-round win over Wolverhampton Wanders at Molineux

Ian Doyle with the Liverpool player ratings and scores from the 3-1 FA Cup fifth-round win over Wolverhampton Wanders at Molineux

Wolves 1-3 Liverpool: Arne Slot’s Side Progress to FA Cup Quarter Finals Liverpool responded in emphatic fashion in the FA Cup, defeating Wolves 1-3 at Molineux to secure a place in the quarter finals. Just days after suffering a league defeat at the same ground, Arne Slot’s side delivered a far more convincing display, particularly […]

The post Match Report: Liverpool beat Wolves to reach FA Cup Quarter-Final appeared first on anfieldindex.com.

Liverpool bounced back from their recent defeat to Wolves with a 3-1 win at Molineux to progress to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

Arne Slot's side had been beaten in stoppage-time in the Premier League fixture between the teams on Tuesday but early second-half goals from Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah put them in control before Curtis Jones scored a sumptuous third.

Hee-Chan Hwang grabbed a late consolation but Liverpool were rewarded for their strong team selection, having made fewer changes than Rob Edwards did to the Wolves line-up. The commanding victory secures their spot in Monday's draw for the last eight.

Player ratings

Wolves: Johnstone (6), Tchatchoua (5), Mosquera (6), S Bueno (5), Toti (6), H Bueno (6), J Gomes (7), A Gomes (6), Bellegarde (6), Mane (5), Arokodare (5).

Subs: Armstrong (6), Hwang (7), R Gomes (6).

Liverpool: Alisson (6), Szoboszlai (7), Gomez (7), Van Dijk (6), Robertson (8), Gravenberch (6), Mac Allister (6), Jones (7), Salah (7), Gakpo (6), Ngumoha (7).

Subs: Wirtz (6), Frimpong (7), Konate (n/a), Nyoni (n/a), Morrison (n/a).

Player of the Match: Andy Robertson.

How it unfolded at Molineux

Although Cody Gakpo headed against the bar from an offside position early on, the early pattern of the game was remarkably similar to the previous meeting between the teams. Liverpool were on top, having all 11 shots in the first half, but created little of note.

It opened up quickly after the interval thanks to Robertson's rocket of a shot from the edge of the penalty box and the Scottish left-back produced the moment of quality that unlocked Wolves again just moments later when his cross found Salah at the back post.

Team news headlines

• Rob Edwards made six changes to the Wolves team with Sam Johnstone, Hugo Bueno, Yerson Mosquera, Toti Gomes, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Tolu Arokodare coming in.
• Arne Slot made four changes to his Liverpool side. Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones, Andy Robertson and young Rio Ngumoha came in. Florian Wirtz was fit enough for the bench.

The assistant referee initially ruled the goal offside but VAR corrected the call. On a night when teenager Rio Ngumoha received an opportunity from the start, it was two veterans in red who made the difference for the visitors. Jones then put the seal on it.

For Wolves, there will be no cup joy. It is back to the toil of the Premier League for the bottom club. For Liverpool, the win serves as a confidence boost ahead of a Champions League tie away to Galatasaray on Tuesday. It is seven wins in nine now for the Reds.

Image: Liverpool players celebrate Curtis Jones' third goal in their win at Wolves Robertson: It was up to us to put it right

Man of the match Andy Robertson speaking to BBC Sport:

"I couldn't have hit it much better, no. It's quite rare, but it opened up and thankfully I hit it clean - most of them usually go over the bar. I'm glad I managed to get one in the net.

"That was a bit more like it. We know we let ourselves down on Tuesday. It was not the performance we expect of ourselves.

"It's very rare you get to play the same team three days later, so it was up to us to go and put it right. The FA Cup is do-or-die, you're in or you're out and thankfully we're in the quarter-finals."

Slot: Robertson loves the club

Liverpool boss Arne Slot speaking in the press conference:

"If you talk about a goal and an assist, the first player you think about is probably not a full-back.

"He loves the club and he loves to play in front of these fans.

"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 he was here. He tries to give his best, defending well, calm with a lot of composure on the ball."

Slot welcomed Florian Wirtz back as a substitute and the Liverpool squad is looking stronger again.

"I am really happy a lot of players have come back, if you have to play with 12, 13, 14 every three days it does make sense that once in a while a performance is not what you expect.

"That is why I respect them so much, that the same players have to play. Now I can affect the game more from the bench."

On the overall performance, Slot saw a lot of similarities with the defeat of three days earlier. Asked if it was the perfect response, he replied: "Of course it is the perfect response when you look at the result but every stat is exactly the same as three days ago.

"Today they only had one chance and scored one. Three days ago they only had one chance and scored twice. Again we conceded in extra time so that is similar. So it was not so much different.

"In the first 50 minutes we were maybe a bit faster, going from side to side, that had maybe to do with the personnel but there were a lot of similarities, a lot of possession."

Edwards: Liverpool better tonight

Wolves boss Rob Edwards speaking in the press conference:

"Not a tough one to take, just that the better team won. They were really good tonight and it was hard for us. No qualms or excuses, their level was excellent.

"At half-time I was relatively happy, we were limiting them to long-range shots but not too many efforts. The most frustrating thing for me was the timing of the second goal, that was the killer. We needed to remain in it longer and that second one was really frustrating. That is the thing I am most disappointed in.

"A double-header against Liverpool is hard. For us to win one of those we have to take that as a big positive. We tried tonight but their level went up and they made it very difficult."

Asked if there were similarities to the previous game, Edwards added: "I thought they were better, their counter-pressing was better, their intensity was better, they won the ball back better. Their intensity tonight was better, it was really hard for us to get through them."

With Wolves' cup run over, Edwards must turn his attention back to a Premier League season that seems almost certain to end in relegation. "We have got eight games. The next game against Brentford has to be our cup final."

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Liverpool defeated Wolves in the fifth round of the FA Cup to reach the quarter-final of the competition

Liverpool defeated Wolves in the fifth round of the FA Cup to reach the quarter-final of the competition

Liverpool knocked Wolves out of the FA Cup with Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah goals seeing Arne Slot's side take charge of the contest. This is what we spotted.

21:52, 06 Mar 2026

Rio Ngumoha in action during Wolves vs Liverpool in the FA Cup.(Image: Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images)

MOLINEUX, WOLVERHAMPTON // Liverpool safely booked its place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with Rio Ngumoha offering another glimpse of his talent in the process.

After a goalless and chanceless first half, Andy Robertson put Liverpool in front and then crossed for Mohamed Salah to net his second of the week against Wolves, putting the Reds too far ahead to catch.

From there, Arne Slot's side was able to see out the result without the need for any of the late drama we saw on Tuesday, with Curtis Jones getting in on the act too. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.

READ MORE: Sir Kenny Dalglish gives verdict on Andy Robertson Celtic transfer amid uncertain Liverpool futureREAD MORE: Peter Crouch sends message to FSG over Arne Slot's Liverpool futureLiverpool bounces back

"We have something to prove on Friday," Arne Slot said on Tuesday, moments after Liverpool had lost to a deflected stoppage-time goal from Andre. Rob Edwards, meanwhile, was expecting the visitors to show an "angry" response.

Still, though, there was no quick start from Liverpool. The Reds were well on top in the first period, but didn't do a great deal with the possession that they had.

Ngumoha, as we will come to, threatened to a point in the first half, but there wasn't much in the way of end product for all that he was enjoying himself with stepovers and dribbles.

In the second, he stepped it up as the Wolves defense became more stretched, with Robertson the man to prove decisive with a goal and assist to put his team well in control.

Andy Robertson was decisive for Liverpool.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Rio Ngumoha excites

Ngumoha had started three games before this one this season and all of them have come in the domestic cups. For all the clamor for him to get more minutes — Steven Gerrard was the latest pundit to call for that earlier this week — the long-term plan has to remain.

At 17, Ngumoha cannot be the saviour for Liverpool in a season that has caused plenty of problems for Arne Slot. Even if he is ready to take on the mental challenges of playing every single game, physically, as the likes of Stefan Bajcetic and Jayden Danns prove, it would be unwise to over-exert him.

Arne Slot started Rio Ngumoha in the FA Cup on Friday night(Image: (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images))

Here, he showed his rawness. There were lots of skills and his feet are remarkably fast, but he wasn't able to get away from his man sufficiently to find many dangerous balls into the box.

In the second half, in fairness, when Wolves tired and needed to leave more gaps in search of a goal to change the game, he managed to get more shots away.

It was all a good part of the learning curve. Offering some excitement even when he wasn't getting a cross or a shot away, Ngumoha certainly made his mark.

Arne Slot changes pay off

Slot made changes to his starting XI as much as he could, with the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Ibrahima Konate given a breather. Though it meant Dominik Szoboszlai playing right-back, it was the right call.

Ekitike has looked shattered lately and with Alexander Isak still a few weeks away from even being able to come on as a substitute, the Frenchman will need to play most of the matches before then.

Taking the chance to rest him was correct, with Slot outlining before kick-off that the Champions League race is more important than a cup run, even if he would like both. Getting the win anyway only made the decision more popular.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)

Alisson Becker untroubled

Alisson Becker was partly at fault for the Wolves winner the other day and it was a slight surprise — not because of that, but just because of rotation — that Giorgi Mamardashvili didn't get a chance to impress.

In the event, Mamardashvili wasn't missing much. Alisson barely touched the ball in the first half and was a complete passenger. In the second period, he was not called upon that much more.

When Mamardashvili's next game will come remains to be seen. Alisson will just be glad to have gotten through the game without being asked to bail out those in front of him, even if Hee-chan Hwang prevented him collecting a clean sheet.

FA Cup quarter-finals await

The FA Cup is a major opportunity for Liverpool this season. By some distance, it is the Reds' best chance of winning some silverware in a season that has often been a slog.

Bouncing back from another late defeat in Tuesday's game between these sides was one thing, but edging closer to a trip to Wembley was just as vital.

Without securing a Champions League place, there is a question mark over whether even winning a trophy would constitute success for Liverpool this season, given how important being in the top five places in the Premier League is.

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Going all the way in this competition, though, with Newcastle playing Manchester City and Arsenal having other priorities, feels realistic. Now, all eyes will be on the draw.

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Liverpool's summer signing suffered a long-term injury on his debut but has impressed behind the scenes at Anfield

Liverpool's summer signing suffered a long-term injury on his debut but has impressed behind the scenes at Anfield