Tolu Arokodare: Wolves coach reveals how joker-card move secured Liverpool win

Mar 4, 2026 - 16:30

Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Rob Edwards has revealed how his decision to play a jokey-card off the bench paid off with Tolu Arokodare‘s involvement, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 25-year-old played nine minutes in Wolves' 2-0 win against Aston Villa last weekend, but was given half an hour at the Molineux against Liverpool.

The game was goalless, but Arokodare's brilliant hold-up play, especially how he outmuscled Virgil Van Dijk, led to Rodrigo Gomes' opener against Arne Slot's side.

Mohamed Salah levelled the scores five minutes later, but the three-time English Premier League winners would have the last laugh.

Brazilian midfielder Andre Trindade da Costa let fly in the 94th minute, and his deflected attempt beat Alisson Becker to secure a back-to-back Premier League win for the first time this campaign for Wolves.

Wolves players celebrate at full time of the Premier League match against Liverpool — Wolves players celebrate at full-time of the Premier League match against Liverpool. Copyright: ImagoxNataliexMincher

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Wolves: Edwards delighted with Arokodare joker move

Speaking after the game, the Wolves manager was delighted with the instinctive change he made in the second half, claiming the moves weren't planned, but they eventually paid off.

“It was a bit of both. We had a plan, but until you get hit in the face, then you might have to change things.
“The timings of the substitutions in the second half, that wasn’t the plan,” the former Middlesbrough coach said in quotes revealed by Wolves' official website.

Rob Edwards gives instructions to substitute Tolu Arokodare. Copyright: ImagoxMIxNews

“I had an idea of who I might want to try and get on the pitch, but then it was about finding a way to win the game.
“It’s hard in the heat at the moment to try and stick to a ‘Let’s give him [Arokodare] 30 minutes and him [Rodrigo Gomes] whatever’.
“Then it was just about winning, but the impact from the subs were great, and the lads that started the game were really good as well,” the Welshman concluded.

Manager Rob Edwards celebrates at full time of the Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at Molineux stadium — Manager Rob Edwards celebrates at full-time of the Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at Molineux Stadium. Copyright: ImagoxNataliexMincher

Despite sealing consecutive wins, Wolves are still bottom of the Premier League, and need to secure at least ten points in the coming games to escape the relegation zone.