Last-place Wolverhampton stunned Premier League champion Liverpool with a 2-1 win at Molineux Stadium on Tuesday.
Brazilian midfielder Andre struck a deflected winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time to deliver a blow to Liverpool’s hopes of securing Champions League soccer next season.
It sent Wolves fans wild in a thrilling finish to the match.
“It is Liverpool Football Club. It doesn’t matter the position we are in at the moment, whenever you beat them, you have to enjoy them moments,” said Wolves manager Rob Edwards, who charged down the touchline in celebration after Andre’s strike brought rare joy to a season that looks destined to end in relegation.
A dramatic end to the game saw Mohamed Salah score in the 83rd minute — ending his 10-game league goal drought — to equalize for Liverpool soon after Rodrigo Gomes had put Wolves ahead in the 78th.
As both teams went in search of a winner, Andre’s long-range effort deflected off Joe Gomez and left Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson wrong-footed.
“It feels amazing. It was an amazing game and an amazing night,” said Rodrigo Gomes.
It was Liverpool’s ninth league defeat of the season and could see the defending champion drop to sixth place if Chelsea beats Aston Villa on Wednesday.
The top four are guaranteed to qualify for the Champions League, but the Premier League is likely to earn a fifth bonus place because of English clubs’ performances in Europe this season.
After running away with the title last term, Liverpool is 16 points adrift of first-place Arsenal.
“We are losing far too many football games and dropping points,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said. “The three times we have lost in the last 22 games have all been in extra time.”
Victory for Wolves made it back-to-back wins in the league for the first time this season. It beat Aston Villa 2-0 on Friday.
While survival is highly unlikely, given it is 11 points adrift of safety, it is enjoying a late season surge that included a recent 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
“What we are doing at the moment is showing fight and spirit and some quality. We are competing with everyone,” Edwards said.
Everton gives home fans something to cheer
Everton secured a rare win at its new stadium by beating relegation-fighting Burnley 2-0.
Goals from James Tarkowski and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in each half sealed only a fifth league win at Hill Dickinson Stadium since Everton moved into its new home at the start of the season. Victory also boosted its chances of qualifying for Europe, with David Moyes’ team moving to within one point of seventh-place Brentford, which drew 0-0 with Bournemouth.
“Our away form has been incredible but we haven’t got enough points here,” Tarkowski said. “We have let ourselves down in some games here and conceded some rubbish goals and not taken our chances.
“We are in touching distance to the European places. There are nine matches to go so we will stick some wins on the board and see where we end up. We are chasing them rather than looking below.”
Leeds loses again
Leeds is in danger of being dragged back toward the relegation zone after back-to-back losses.
Habib Diarra’s second-half penalty secured a 1-0 win for Sunderland at Elland Road.
Leeds is six points above the drop zone, but that could be reduced if 18th-place West Ham picks up points at Fulham on Wednesday.
FA Cup
Port Vale, which is in last place in England’s third division, will play Sunderland in the fifth round of the FA Cup after beating Bristol City 1-0 in extra time.
Ben Waine scored the winning goal in the 112th to beat Bristol, which is 10th in the second-tier Championship.
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
