LONDON, Jan 8: Liverpool played out a 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Emirates FA Cup at Anfield.
The Reds were forced to come from behind in L4 in a topsy-turvy third-round encounter before being held by the visitors, on Saturday evening, reports liverpoolfc.com.
Wolves opened the scoring through Goncalo Guedes though Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah both struck either side of the half-time interval.
Wanderers had the final say through substitute Hee-Chan Hwang in the 66th-minute, earning a replay at Molineux Stadium for Julien Lopetegui’s outfit.
Mohamed Salah and Gakpo both threatened early for the Reds, with the former seeing a free-kick fly inches over the bar while the latter’s low shot was saved.
Both teams exchanged possession in the early stages as they fought for dominance, and Ibrahima Konate provided solid defensive work to thwart Wolves’ first real attack through Raul Jimenez.
The visitors did take the lead, though, shortly before the half hour mark as Guedes pounced on a loose pass out from goalkeeper Alisson Becker to break the deadlock.
The goalscorer then threatened from distance, forcing a strong save from the Reds’ No.1 ahead of the interval.
With half-time looming, Liverpool levelled after a quick break forward was finished off by a well-placed Nunez volley.
Trent Alexander-Arnold who was making his 250th appearance for the club burst forward to halfway and found the run of the front man with an inch-perfect ball to bring the scores level.
It took Liverpool just seven minutes of the second period to edge themselves in front thanks to a Salah strike.
The forward kept his cool inside the area to collect himself and find the bottom corner of the net after a loose defensive header fell into his path on the attack.
Nunez then headed over in an attempt to make it three shortly afterwards, with the Reds looking to take control of the encounter.
Alisson again saved well from Rayan Ait-Nouri while Konate also headed over the crossbar at a corner ball.
The visitors, however, brought themselves level in the tie.
When substitute Hee-Chan Hwang finished off inside the area following a well crafted move.
Both teams battled for a winner and Wolves were denied another strike through Tote Gomes by the offside flag with VAR upholding the decision.
The Reds pushed for a crucial third goal late on but were unable to make the breakthrough.
Newcastle knocked out
Newcastle, who sit third in the top flight, fell two goals behind as League One (third-tier) side Sheffield Wednesday’s Josh Windass netted twice in the second half. Bruno Guimaraes pulled one back for Newcastle in the 69th minute when he tapped in from close range after goalkeeper Cameron Dawson kept out Chris Wood’s initial effort from a corner, but it was little more than a consolation.
Other results
The world’s oldest football tournament has a reputation for upsets and Nottingham Forest, who made 11 changes from the side that beat Southampton 1-0 in midweek, went out after slumping to a 4-1 defeat at second-tier strugglers Blackpool.
Bournemouth’s torrid run since they returned from the World Cup break continued with a 4-2 loss at home to Championship leaders Burnley, with the Cherries suffering their fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions.
Meanwhile, fifth-tier Wrexham beat second-tier side Harry Kane moved to within one goal of the club’s record scorer Jimmy Greaves as his strike in a 1-0 win over Portsmouth took his tally to 265.
“I try to not think about it. Sometimes you can think too much,” Kane said. “I feel in good form and I feel fit. My mindset is to help the team and hopefully the goals will come.”
West Ham substitute Said Benrahma scored with a stunning long-range effort against his former club Brentford to take the visitors into the fourth round with a 1-0 victory.
Leicester City, who won the Cup in 2021, progressed with a 1-0 win at Gillingham who are bottom of the Football League.
Southampton put aside their poor league form to come from behind and beat fellow top-flight side Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park with Adam Armstrong scoring the winner after the visitors had levelled with a James Ward-Prowse free kick.
Welsh soccer club Wrexham thrilled its Hollywood owners by causing a big shock in the FA Cup on Saturday.
A 4-3 win over Coventry in the third round of the famous old competition was Wrexham’s best result since the team, which plays in English soccer’s fifth tier, was taken over by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in November 2020.
“I’m completely and totally speechless,” Reynolds, best known for starring in the “Deadpool” movies, tweeted What a win.”
Wrexham, the world’s third oldest professional club, was the architect of one of the FA Cup’s greatest upsets, beating then-English champion Arsenal in the third round in 1992. (Agencies)