Premier League
Wirtz scores in emotional Liverpool win against Wolves
Relief for Florian Wirtz: The national player finally scores his first Liverpool goal. It will be emotional in the first game for Diogo Jota’s former clubs Liverpool and Wolverhampton since his death.
With his first goal for Liverpool FC, Florian Wirtz helped the English football champions to a narrow victory. The German international scored in the emotional 2-1 (2-0) win against Wolverhampton Wanderers, which saw the Reds climb to fourth place in the Premier League table. It was the first meeting between Diogo Jota’s two former clubs since the Portuguese died in a car accident in July.
In the parallel game, Arsenal FC regained the top of the table with a 2-1 (1-0) win against Brighton & Hove Albion. A goal from Martin Odegaard (14th) and an own goal from Georginio Rutter (52nd) were enough for a narrow win against Brighton, for which Diego Gómez (64th) scored.
First Liverpool goal for Wirtz
Liverpool were the superior team from the start against the bottom of the table, who had only taken two points from 18 games so far. But it wasn’t until shortly before the break that Ryan Gravenberch (41st minute) shot the Reds into the lead.
Just a minute later, Florian Wirtz (42nd) struck. For the criticized German international, who came from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer for around 150 million euros, it was a liberation – the first Liverpool goal after 23 appearances.
Crisis club Wolverhampton managed to score the next goal through Santiago Bueno in the 51st minute, but nothing more. Liverpool, fourth in the table, are ten points behind leaders Arsenal. The Gunners pushed Manchester City out of first place, which had only briefly taken over the top position with a 2-1 (0-0) win at Nottingham Forest. Aston Villa is one point less than Man City in third place after a 2-1 (0-1) win at Chelsea.
Diogo Jota’s sons as enema children
Before the Premier League duel between Liverpool and Wolverhampton, the late Jota, who played for both clubs in his career, was remembered with an emotional gesture. Before kick-off at Anfield, Jota’s sons Dinis and Duarte ran onto the pitch alongside LFC captain Virgil van Dijk.
A mural honoring the Portuguese striker was previously unveiled near the stadium. It shows Jota forming his hands into a heart. It says “Forever 20” underneath. Jota’s shirt number 20 will no longer be used at Liverpool FC after his death. In the 20th minute of the game, the Anfield spectators rose to their feet, applauded and chanted Jota’s name.
Jota’s widow, Rute Cardoso, and her two sons had already attended the Premier League opening games in Liverpool and Wolverhampton in August.
Jota and Cardoso had married two weeks before his death. The striker died along with his brother in a car accident in Spain in July. He was 28 years old.
dpa
