Liverpool secured a 3-1 victory over Wolves in the FA Cup fifth round at Molineux, advancing to the quarter-finals with second-half goals from Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah, and Curtis Jones. The win avenged a recent Premier League defeat to the same opponent. Youngster Rio Ngumoha impressed on the left flank during the match.
Liverpool returned to Molineux three days after a 2-1 Premier League loss to Wolves, where a stoppage-time goal by Jorgen Strand Larsen had dented their top-four hopes. In this FA Cup fifth-round clash on March 6, 2026, kick-off at 20:00 GMT, Arne Slot's side showed improvement, controlling possession in the first half but creating few clear chances.
Teenager Rio Ngumoha was Liverpool's most lively player early on, with direct runs troubling Wolves' defense. Cody Gakpo had a header ruled out for offside midway through the half, while Wolves registered no shots before the break, leading to a 0-0 interval.
The second half saw Liverpool break through in the 51st minute. After involvement from Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones, Andy Robertson struck from distance into the far corner past Sam Johnstone. Two minutes later, Robertson crossed for Salah to finish at the back post; a VAR review confirmed no offside.
Jones sealed the win in the 74th minute, guiding a low shot into the bottom corner after beating challenges. Wolves pulled one back in stoppage time when Hwang Hee-chan reacted to a loose ball to beat Alisson.
Captain Virgil van Dijk told TNT Sports: "The FA Cup is very important to us - like always, but especially this season. Hopefully we can keep going." Manager Slot praised Ngumoha: "It's special when you are 17 years old if you are able to impact it with some very good one-v-one situations."
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy noted on BBC One that the FA Cup represents a realistic chance for silverware amid a tough season, with Liverpool trailing Arsenal by 19 points in the Premier League.
Liverpool's starting XI included Alisson, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Salah, Jones, Gakpo, Robertson, Ryan Gravenberch, and Ngumoha. Wolves lined up with Johnstone, Cedric Kipre Tchatchoua, Yerson Mosquera, Ki-Jana Hoever, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Mario Lemina, Joao Gomes, Boubacar Traore, Matheus Cunha, Pedro Neto, and Hwang Hee-chan.
