Player ratings as Jurgen Klopp bows out with win

FROM ANFIELD – Liverpool ensured a perfect send-off for Jurgen Klopp as they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 on Sunday in the German’s final game in charge.

Aided by Nelson Semedo’s first-half red card, the hosts cruised to victory thanks to goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Jarell Quansah

But the true focus of the day was an emotional goodbye to one of the greatest managers in Anfield history after eight-and-a-half years in charge.

How the game unfolded

With Liverpool supporters displaying a mosaic reading ‘Danke Jurgen’ and offering up a particularly heartfelt rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the game itself largely felt secondary.

But the hosts managed to park the emotion sufficiently to make a strong start in a raucous atmosphere, with Virgil van Dijk and Luis Diaz both drawing comfortable saves from Jose Sa early.

To their credit, Wolves did well to limit Liverpool to shots from distance, and showed their threat when Hwang Hee-chan forced Alisson Becker to tip round the post on the break.

However, that good work was undone in the 28th minute when Semedo went in studs up on Mac Allister’s ankle, prompting a VAR review that resulted in an initial yellow card being swapped out for a red.

That did not change Wolves’ approach too much, with the visitors content to defend deep, but they were soon undone when a delicious Harvey Elliott inswinging cross was nodded in by Mac Allister.

And the Reds doubled their advantage six minutes later, Quansah poking the ball home after a tame Mohamed Salah attempt had been deflected into his path.

Despite the end-of-season feel having been exacerbated by Klopp’s imminent departure, Liverpool started the second half in much the same vein as they had finished the first. The hosts should have added to their lead when Cody Gakpo rounded the goalkeeper and set up Diaz to somehow hit underside of the bar from inside the six-yard box.

Gakpo and Mac Allister then spurned further good opportunities from close range before Wolves threatened to take the shine off the party on the counter.

However, Matheus Cunha contrived to strike straight at Alisson after he and Rayan Ait-Nouri had linked up brilliantly in the Liverpool box.

With the game having otherwise petered out, Wolves almost set up an interesting finish when Matt Doherty headed home brilliantly from just inside the box.

But the linesman’s initial offside call was proven to be correct by a brief VAR check, ensuring Liverpool not only ended the Klopp era with three points but…