Wolves boss Vitor Pereira expressed his frustration following Liverpool’s nail-biting 2-1 victory at Anfield, insisting that Ibrahima Konate should have received a second yellow card. Konate was already booked in the first half for a foul on Matheus Cunha and later committed another foul on the same player, raising questions about whether he should have been sent off.
Pereira viewed this as a pivotal moment, especially as Wolves pushed hard for a late equalizer after Cunha reduced the deficit following goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah. “I am not the referee, but yes for me,” Pereira stated. “What I say now will not change anything, but in my opinion, the second yellow card should be shown.”
The Portuguese manager was also cautioned for dissent during the match and explained, “I don’t know why I was carded; maybe because I am emotional when I am competing. I am not watching a movie on the sofa. I am there to compete, and we must understand the emotional side of the game.”
He emphasized that Wolves needed to play with the same intensity in the first half as they did in the second, noting, “Wolves woke up at half time.”
Arne Slot, Liverpool’s manager, acknowledged that the risk of Konate receiving a second yellow influenced his decision to substitute him. “I took him off because of that,” Slot explained. He described the first yellow as “soft” and expressed concern that a second yellow for a minor infraction could lead to an unfair dismissal.
Slot added, “I’ve watched football so many times, and I know that a player and the referee are under pressure. Every next foul could lead to a decision that might not reflect the actual severity.”
On the nerves displayed during the match, Slot remarked that it was more about how Wolves approached the game than the pressure of the situation. He reflected on the importance of the victory, stating that such wins are often more significant than dominant performances. “It is so difficult to win a game of football every three days after everything you go through in a season,” he said, underscoring the challenge involved in maintaining success.
As the team looks ahead to a demanding schedule, Slot hopes they can build on this mentality and improve their performance on the ball in the coming matches.