Jurgen Klopp has told his Liverpool stars to "squeeze everything" they can out of this season as they head into a rematch with the Wolves team who left them at their lowest ebb.
A 3-0 thumping at Molineux on February 4 followed a month that contained two defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion and a loss at Brentford, with Liverpool leaving the West Midlands in a state of disarray.
Results have picked up since from that low point, with Liverpool beating Everton and Newcastle United in the Premier League and drawing at Crystal Palace. They have kept three successive clean sheets for the first time in the domestic league, but the elephant in the room is the 5-2 stuffing Liverpool suffered at the hands of Real Madrid amid that improvement.
As it stands, Liverpool are up to seventh in the league, still in the hunt for a Champions League place with 45 points up for grabs before the season ends, and manager Klopp says this is "a super-important week".
With Wolves their visitors on Wednesday, and Manchester United coming to Anfield on Sunday, the chance is there for Liverpool to take big strides towards the top four.
Considering Liverpool came from mid-table to snatch fourth in the 2020-21 season, after winning eight of their last 10 games, Klopp knows it can be done.
"It helps because it was us and I don't have to tell them the story from another team," Klopp said on Tuesday. "History is not allowed to hinder you, but you cannot constantly rely on doing it again, so we have to make sure.
"I really see we have the right mindset, and we are ready to go, but now we have to do it as well because a game is different. You have an opponent who wants the points as well. We have to create, we have to attack, we have to defend, we have to protect. I know the boys can do that, so let's give it a try.
"We have to force it as well, but we have to play and enjoy what we are doing, that's really important. I really think we are ready. If there's a club that can do it, I really think it's us, because all the things we've achieved, we've achieved together.
"We have a future together. The immediate future, but there's a bigger picture as well. We will strike back in general, but now we have to make sure we really squeeze everything out of this season that we can squeeze out of this season.
"I don't know in this moment what it will be, but the obvious spots are not too far away from us, and we will see which one we can pick up, but there's no alternative to results, so we need results and for results we need performances."
Liverpool have won 18 of their last 20 home league games against Wolves, with the exceptions being 1-0 defeats in January 1984 and December 2010.
Klopp's Reds also beat Wolves after a replay in the FA Cup in January, so victory over the men in black and gold is not an alien concept, despite the recent woeful league result. Klopp labelled that 3-0 loss as "not a cool day" and urged Liverpool to take advantage of being at home this time.
Wolves will be looking to complete a league double over Liverpool for the first time since the 1950-51 season, and they need the points too, given they hover just above the relegation zone.
"It's a super-important week," Klopp said. "We can't ignore that and why would I? We have two home games.
"I would love to give the season a little push this week. I know we all understand, so we have to give a proper, proper, proper go against a team we played more often than any other team this season.
"We know a lot about each other. We know it will not be easy, so we have to make sure we are ready. I know Anfield will be, and we have to do our part."
Howe: Newcastle performance in Palace defeat 'way off' Spurs win
Eddie Howe admitted Newcastle United's performance in the 2-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Wednesday was "way off" the one that saw them thump Tottenham in their previous game.
Howe's men hammered Spurs 4-0 in their last match, but they never got close to matching the attacking verve from that outing and a Jean-Philippe Mateta double condemned the Magpies to defeat at Selhurst Park.
Newcastle didn't even manage a shot on target until the 87th minute, accumulating just 0.42 xG (expected goals) as the likes of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon struggled to make an impact.
Only against Manchester City in August (one) have Newcastle recorded fewer shots on target in a Premier League game this season than their two against Palace, and Howe was critical of his team's display in the loss, one that all but ends their hopes of finishing in the top four.
"[It is a] bad day for us," Howe told Newcastle's club media.
"I thought we were disappointing today, especially in the first 60 minutes. We were way off our levels against Tottenham and our best levels.
"I thought technically we didn't deliver a good performance, and out of possession I don't think it was a particularly good performance either."
Newcastle were unlocked twice for Mateta to score by a Palace side who themselves only generated 0.88 xG.
Howe was left frustrated by the manner in which his side conceded, adding: "I think we'll be disappointed with our performance technically today, and that's probably epitomised by the two goals where we're disappointed with how we've given them the ball in those situations and then how we defended.
"I think the goals sum up aspects of our performance where there was some good, lots of moments that could have led to opportunities, but we were slow to shoot around the box," he said.
The defeat, combined with Manchester United's 4-2 win over Sheffield United, means Newcastle drop to seventh, while eighth-placed West Ham are two points behind with a game in hand.
Newcastle have now lost eight of their last 11 Premier League away games, while they have lost on four occasions in London in the league this term, only doing so more times in a Premier League season in 2000-01 and 2005-06 (both five).
It's been a disappointing season for Howe and his side, especially compared to the heroics of last term when Newcastle finished in the top four, and the Magpies boss knows there's work to be done to get back to those levels.
"It's a day that we have to take our punishment, deal with it, and then try and improve," Howe continued. "It's frustrating because we know we're capable of much better."
Dyche challenges Everton to 'go and do it again' after crucial derby victory
Sean Dyche challenged his Everton players to "go and do it again" after his team defeated Liverpool at Goodison Park in the Merseyside derby.
Everton won 2-0 on Wednesday, clinching a home victory over their local rivals for the first time since 2010 thanks to goals from Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
While it also dented Liverpool's title hopes, the victory presented a huge step forward in Everton's hopes of staying up.
They are now eight points clear of the relegation zone, with four games left to play, and the possibility of points to come back should they successfully appeal the second of their points deductions for financial breaches.
Dyche, though, insisted the job is not done as he looks towards another big game on Saturday, when Brentford visit Goodison Park.
"Very pleased with the reaction," Dyche told Sky Sports.
"This was a different game with the organisation and the belief in the organisation. They're a good side, we know that. The commitment from us had to be there. The energy of the side and also the key moments.
"We spoke about the desire and the energy of the team and the physical side of the game. The lads did it on Sunday and they'll have to do it again. That's the challenge.
"We stayed focused tonight and I asked if they could stay with us and they did. Sunday was massive and now it was a massively important derby game. For people like Seamus Coleman, he wears his heart on his sleeve and he's so happy.
"We should be on 41 points and the story's different. Three clean sheets in three home games. The challenge for the players is to go and do it again."
Calvert-Lewin led the line brilliantly, converting Everton's second with a towering header early in the second half. He has scored three goals in his last four Premier League games for the Toffees, as many as in his previous 28 appearances in the competition.
"I thought [Calvert-Lewin] was outstanding tonight," Dyche said.
"We've been trying to get him back to where he needs to be and I thought he was outstanding. He gets a goal. He tried to get it over the line and I love that. The second one is a great header. No, I thought he was outstanding tonight.
"Jordan Pickford made some big saves in the first half. It's rare you stop these sides having chances so you need moments yourself. It's hard to pick out one or two [players]."
Wolves 0-1 Bournemouth: Semenyo strike decisive as Cherries leapfrog hosts
Antoine Semenyo scored the only goal of the game as 10-man Bournemouth moved into the top half of the Premier League by beating Wolves 1-0.
Semenyo struck after 37 minutes to deservedly give the Cherries all three points at Molineux, where Wolves had two goals disallowed.
Hwang Hee-chan and Max Kilman thought they had scored equalisers, with the latter netting in the final moments of stoppage time, but Wolves' luck was out.
Milos Kerkez saw red for Bournemouth late on, but they held firm to inflict defeat on their former boss Gary O'Neil, whose Wolves team sit 12th.
Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa was forced into action twice as Bournemouth started well, pushing Semenyo's deflected effort wide before clawing away Marco Senesi's header from the resulting corner.
The hosts nearly gifted the Cherries an opener when Tommy Doyle lost possession inside his own half and Dominic Solanke was played in on goal, but Kilman came up with a vital intervention.
Wolves' first attempt on goal came when Ryan Christie was dispossessed inside his own half, but Mark Travers, making his maiden league start of the season, was able to tip behind Pablo Sarabia’s curling effort.
But the Cherries deservedly went ahead before half-time when Semenyo finished coolly following a free-flowing attacking move.
Bournemouth nearly doubled their lead inside the first 10 minutes of the second half when Justin Kluivert deflected Senesi's shot towards goal, forcing Sa into a smart reaction save.
Wolves thought they had an equaliser when Hwang headed home from Nelson Semedo's cross, but the goal was disallowed following a VAR review as Matheus Cunha was deemed to have committed a foul in the build-up.
Kerkez was sent off, with VAR confirming the onfield decision, for a rash lunge on Matt Doherty in the 79th minute, but Wolves were unable to make their numerical advantage count, with Kilman adjudged to have strayed marginally offside when he swept home at the death.
Toothless Wolves seeing their season fade out
Wolves boss O'Neil could not complete the league double against his former employers as his side's winless streak stretched to six league games.
Even with the returning quartet of Semedo, Sarabia, Mario Lemina and Rayan Ait-Nouri, Wolves struggled to get going as an attacking force.
Sarabia passed up the chance to connect with Hwang's cross before Mario Lemina had a shot deflect over and Ait-Nouri curled an effort wide in their only show of attacking intent in the first half.
They may have had two goals disallowed, but it was all in all a rather toothless attacking display, and Wolves' European hopes have swiftly drifted away.
Cherries on course for record points tally
Bournemouth ended their three-match winless run, and it was ultimately an excellent first-half display that was crucial in getting the job done.
Even Kerkez's recklessness late on was not enough to put them off course, and they now need only two points from their remaining four Premier League fixtures to surpass their record tally of 46 set in the 2016-17 season.
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