da realbet： Imagine just the second start of your Premier League career being away at Anfield. In any era, that would be an almighty test of ability and character.
da 888casino： Now imagine being just 22 years of age, going to Anfield during a period where Liverpool haven’t lost there since April 2017.
That was the challenge facing Max Kilman on Sunday as Wolves headed to Merseyside to try and upset a second title-chasing team in as many matches.
But whereas far more experienced players may well have ended up wilting under the pressure of such a grand occasion, in the face of such a dominant recent history, Wolves’ young centre-half more than held his own against what was recently crowned the best football team in the world.
Indeed, a busy performance as the left-most member of Wolves’ disciplined back three saw Kilman make four tackles, four clearances, win four headers, put in one block and anticipate one interception – clocking up at least one on every in-game metric Whoscored allows us to judge defenders on apart from fouls, which finished up as an equally impressive zero.
And this is in spite of the fact Liverpool continuously looked to attack down Kilman’s side in the first half, as they sought to bring Trent Alexander-Arnold’s crossing into the game as much as possible. Perhaps it is more than understandable then that eventually the pressure told, as a long ball from Virgin van Dijk found the man Kilman was tracking – Adam Lallana.
Unable to stop the former England regular, Lallana shouldered the ball onto Sadio Mane who then struck it home for what proved to be (thanks to VAR intervention) the only goal of the game.
But to lay huge doses of blame on Kilman’s doorstep would be unfair – perhaps he could’ve been a bit wiser to the situation, perhaps it was just a great pass and a very smart run – especially considering that, apart from a few vicious whips into dangerous areas, that was about all of the change Liverpool, fresh from battering Leicester City 4-0, got out of the youngster all afternoon.
In fairness, Kilman is by no means a complete novice. He’s featured for Wolves in the Carabao Cup, the Europa League and in the top flight for Wolves this season. Likewise, Liverpool were by no means at their best – they soon gave up on the free-flowing football to simply get the job done. In the end, they only managed to test Rui Patricio three times.
Yet it was nonetheless an impressive performance from a young player who has given Nuno Santo something to think about. Romain Saiss and Leander Dendoncker – as much midfielders as defenders – started either side of Conor Coady against Manchester City. Kilman is perhaps the more natural, and arguably more deserving, fit going forward.