Wolves manager Vítor Pereira was frustrated that Ibrahima Konaté was not sent off as Liverpool secured a tense 2-1 victory at Anfield, maintaining their seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Konaté, the French defender, received a yellow card after 30 minutes for pulling back Matheus Cunha during a counterattack. Shortly afterward, he committed another foul on Cunha, which could have warranted a second booking. Pereira believed this was a crucial moment in the game, especially as Wolves applied late pressure in search of an equalizer.
After Luis Díaz and Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool a two-goal lead in the first half, Cunha pulled one back for Wolves. Pereira expressed his frustration, saying, “I am not the referee, but for me, it was a second yellow. My opinion won’t change anything, but I believe he should have been sent off.”
The Portuguese coach was also shown a yellow card for dissent. He commented, “I don’t know why I was booked—perhaps because I was emotional. I’m not watching a movie on my sofa; I’m there to compete. We need to recognize the emotional aspect of the game. I wasn’t being disrespectful, but I had to accept a lot of decisions today.”
He also reflected on Wolves’ performance, stating, “We need to play the first half the way we did in the second. That’s the kind of courage, personality, and identity I want to see from my team. We woke up after halftime.”
Liverpool manager Arne Slot acknowledged the situation with Konaté, explaining, “I substituted him because of that risk. His first yellow was soft, and if he got a second for a shoulder push, it would have been another soft yellow. The referee likely felt the same, which is why he didn’t show a second card. But in football, once a player is booked, they and the referee are under pressure, so any further foul could lead to another yellow.”
On his team’s performance, Slot dismissed the idea that nerves played a role, instead crediting Wolves for their intensity. “Wednesday, we showed immense mentality in the toughest circumstances of the season. Tonight, going 2-1 up and holding on for the last 15 minutes was incredibly difficult. That’s why wins like this are even more valuable. People assume that just because we have Mo Salah, winning is easy, but it’s incredibly challenging to win every three days. This win is crucial ahead of a tough week where we need to maintain our mentality while improving our play on the ball.”
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