Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard's return from injury briefly deflected the spotlight away from striker Andy Carroll but manager Kenny Dalglish knows it is bound to return.
The club's £35million record signing has yet to score in five Barclays Premier League appearances - three of which have been starts - with his only goal so far coming against League One Exeter in the Carling Cup.
Carroll was left on the bench in midweek for the fourth-round tie at Brighton and with Craig Bellamy, Luis Suarez and Dirk Kuyt combining well together it only prompted more questions about how the England international fits in to Liverpool's pass-and-move approach.
In fairness to Carroll he was one of the nine men who had to play the full 90 minutes in the 4-0 runaround Tottenham gave them at last weekend and probably warranted a rest.
And Dalglish put little significance by his decision to rest his record signing, although he now has a selection dilemma for Saturday's visit of Wolves.
"Andy is a professional footballer who understands what goes on in football," said the Reds boss.
"He worked really hard at Tottenham. It was a bad performance and a bad day for us.
"We don't have a team, we have a squad. There will be times when someone will play and others won't.
"Sometimes you'll be lucky and sometimes you'll be unlucky.
"But the football club is more important than one individual - including myself.
"I'm sure the players realise that. Although there will be a disappointment if you aren't playing, I think there's an understanding as well."
Dalglish added no-one should be surprised a side with seven changes - particularly the trio of Suarez, Bellamy and Kuyt - should play so well at Brighton.
"They train together every day and they get that understanding there. They then look to transfer it into the match," he said.
"We have a look at them every day and work out who does well together.
"If you get intelligent footballers playing together you have a good chance of getting a good performance from them and certainly we got that."
Dalglish believes it is important to learn from the Tottenham performance but not dwell on it as they face a Wolves side who have also lost their last two matches and won at Anfield last season during the final miserable throes of Roy Hodgson's short-lived reign.
"We know it was not acceptable (at Tottenham) but the good thing is that the players realise it is not acceptable," he said.
"We don't get carried away with the victories we have and we won't get suicidal over the defeats we have either.
"At the same time we have to address the problems, if we have them, and we will do. We'll do it properly and professionally.
"We'll try and get ourselves back up and running on Saturday.
"I think Mick McCarthy will be a bit disappointed at the moment as they've lost two league games back to back, like us, after a very good start.
"They came here last year and played very well and went away with a 1-0 victory.
"I think he'll be encouraged by that and he'll be looking for more of the same from his players.
"He'll look to repeat what he did here at Anfield with regards to how he sets his team up."
Dalglish has to decide whether Gerrard is ready to start tomorrow after less than 20 minutes' pitch time in midweek.
He will welcome the return to fitness of Martin Kelly though as right-back Glen Johnson is still out with a hamstring strain and Martin Skrtel, out of his depth against Gareth Bale, is likely to take over from Daniel Agger, who has a broken rib, in his more familiar central position.
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy admits he loves being a footballing giant-killer as his team look to topple Liverpool at Anfield for a second successive season.
But McCarthy knows there will have to be a vast improvement on his team's showing in their last league outing against QPR six days ago - especially with captain Steven Gerrard back available for the Reds.
McCarthy is aware Liverpool are a more potent force now than when Stephen Ward's goal earned Wolves a shock 1-0 success on Merseyside last December, but insists he is not envious of the greater resources Dalglish has at his disposal.
He said: "I've enjoyed competing against people with far greater resources all through my career as a player and a manager.
"We'll go up there and try to upset the applecart and keep being a thorn in everyone's side if we can.
"Winning at Anfield was one of our best results of the season - never mind just away from home.
"They slapped us 3-0 in the return so they kind of made up for it. I'd love to have a similar result to what we had at Anfield but they have been playing well.
"It was a difficult game for them at the weekend when they had a couple of players sent off [in Sunday's 4-0 defeat] at Tottenham.
"But they have got some fabulous players and started the season superbly."
McCarthy is glad to see Gerrard back in action but wishes his return had been delayed until after the Wolves clash.
He said: "I'm thrilled he could face us. I wonder if we can get Graeme Souness and Phil Neal back as well. See if Kenny can come back and Rushy (Ian Rush)...
"I'm delighted they are getting all their best players back to play us and I'm thrilled the cup competition means Adam can play and Skrtel can play.
"Yes, I am pleased for Steven that he is back playing because I like him. He is a top player and a top bloke.
"But I don't want him playing against us. I don't want him making it any harder for me. No thanks."
McCarthy added: "Am I frustrated Liverpool can spend more than myself? Never ever. I think if you get like that, you end up being bitter and twisted and having resentments to everyone.
"I don't have that sort of feeling to anyone. I appreciate what I have and even more so what I get out of the team.
"That is the challenge - the challenge against Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, people who spend more on salaries and transfer fees.
"But some will be looking at us and thinking I'm the lucky one - and I believe I am."
McCarthy is treating last weekend's 3-0 home defeat by QPR as a one-off and received the response he expected, albeit from a much-changed side, in the 5-0 midweek Carling Cup win over Millwall.
He said: "The performance against QPR disappointed me but that doesn't make us a bad team or a bad group of players.
"I got the response I expected but if we don't play well, we are not going to win anything.
"We need seven out of 10s from players, not fours and fives. If we get that, we get beat."
Wolves skipper Roger Johnson and striker Steven Fletcher will both be available to McCarthy after thigh and groin injuries.
