A chance for Liverpool to move to the top of the Premier League table was slipping away. With 17 shots and four on frame at Wolves through the first 93 minutes on Saturday, capitalizing on Chelsea’s defeat to West Ham earlier in the day didn’t appear to be on the cards. There was a shocking Diogo Jota miss from point-blank range and a stunning save from Jose Sa’s late on Sadio Mane, what more could Liverpool do to take the three points? The usual — trust Divock Origi. The Belgian backup striker delivered once again, coming on and scoring a dramatic winner in the 95th minute with his team’s final shot. Take a look:
With a great turn after using his frame to receive the ball, there was no missing from there. In 22 minutes, Origi produced an xG of 0.58, matched Jota’s total shots and surpassed him in goals with a calm finish.
It was his first winning goal off the bench this season, just his second goal of the campaign, and it wasn’t expected in a game that just felt like it would end in a frustrating point for the Reds. After all, this Jota missed sums up the first 94 minutes:
But, Origi was there at the right place at the right time, hitting a low, powerful ball and hoping for the best, beating a goalkeeper who was superb on the night.
This late finishes aren’t anything new though. We saw him come off the bench to wrap up the Champions League final against Tottenham with a fine second-half strike in the 2019 UCL final. He also got that memorable goal against Everton after a Jordan Pickford blunder in December 2018. And since 2017-18, he’s scored six goals at 80 minutes or later in combined domestic and Champions League competitions. This one though, while it is early in the title race, it could be a moment we recall late in the season if the boys from Anfield win the league.
Clutch before, and clutch again.
