Shocked by the bottom-placed team, Liverpool fans demand the 'sacking' of a key player

After the heavy loss to Wolves, Liverpool fans collectively targeted their blame on the same footballer, considering him the main reason behind their team's defeat.

After the resounding 5-2 victory over West Ham, Liverpool returned to their Premier League campaign with an away trip to Wolves' ground in matchweek 29.

The Kop faced teams like Man Utd, Aston Villa, and Chelsea as they aimed to finish in the top four to secure Champions League qualification. However, Arne Slot's side failed to close the gap with their rivals after a painful 1-2 defeat at Molineux.

Wolves opened the scoring in the second half when Rodrigo Gomes sprinted onto a pass from Tolu Arokodare. Gomes slotted past Alisson despite Ibrahima Konate's desperate attempt to intercept. Mohamed Salah equalized just five minutes later, but the visitors could not withstand the late pressure from the hosts. In the 94th minute, Andre's deflected shot secured a dramatic win for Wolves.

Liverpool's performance against Wolves angered supporters, who criticized Virgil van Dijk for his role in Gomes' goal.

The Dutch defender was easily beaten in an aerial duel by Arokodare, as the striker got past the Netherlands international. Van Dijk protested the decision, but no foul was given, and Wolves subsequently scored.

His part in Wolves' opening goal did not sit well with Liverpool fans online.

One user on X wrote: "For a player who usually wins most aerial duels, Van Dijk was beaten far too easily in the air in that situation."

Another said: "So poor from Van Dijk and Konate. Disappointingly easy."

A third commented: "Virgil Van Disney strikes again."

Moreover, Van Dijk's match statistics in this game were not particularly impressive. According to data from SofaScore, the 1991-born star made 5 clearances, won 4 out of 5 ground duels, lost possession twice, and missed two clear chances that could have led to goals.

Van Dijk's below-par performance, along with his teammates', left Liverpool stuck in fifth place with 48 points. The Anfield side could drop to sixth if Chelsea defeat Aston Villa.

Meanwhile, The Kop will return to Molineux this weekend for their FA Cup fifth-round match before continuing their Champions League campaign against Galatasaray midweek. Slot's team resumes domestic action when they host Tottenham.