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Liverpool 3 Newcastle United 1
Uncertainty stalks the Premier League once more but, for Liverpool, winning is a matter of routine once again. Jürgen Klopp’s team kept pace with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League with an eighth victory in succession, Liverpool becoming the first club in English history to record 2000 top flight wins in the process.
Newcastle were far more obstinate and vibrant opponents than their lowly league position suggests and led through Jonjo Shelvey’s early strike. But a controversial equaliser from Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah’s latest goal and a stunning late finish from Trent Alexander-Arnold delivered another vital win and extended Liverpool’s goalscoring streak to a club record 32 consecutive matches. The last time Liverpool failed to score was in the Champions League exit to Real Madrid in April.
It was impossible to escape the parallels with Atlético Madrid’s visit here in March 2020, the last “mass gathering” in English football before the first lockdown, with Covid-19 an unsettling backdrop to events at Anfield once again. Liverpool’s squad have all been vaccinated and had no cases to contend with, Klopp revealed on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, however, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones all returned suspected positive tests and will self-isolate while undergoing further examinations.
The Liverpool manager used his programme notes, meanwhile, to make a forceful argument in favour of vaccinations. “I won’t apologise for the view I hold on the vaccination, no matter how unpopular it might make me in certain sections of society,” he wrote. “Listen to experts. Ignore those who pretend to know. Ignore lies and misinformation. Listen to people who know best. If you do that, you end up wanting the vaccine and the booster.”
The late disruption to Klopp’s plans had no immediate impact on the Liverpool performance. Mohamed Salah tormented Jamal Lewis repeatedly from the off, and created the first chance for Diogo Jota that Martin Dubravka saved at his near post, while Newcastle touched the ball only when clearing it. Hence the stunned silence around most of the stadium, save a delirious away section, when the visitors took the lead the first time they ventured into Liverpool’s half.
The enforced changes to Klopp’s team told. A flowing break was instigated by Ryan Fraser, who released Allan Saint-Maximin down the left and overlapped for a return ball after the striker had easily held off Ibrahima Konaté. Fraser’s cross sailed behind its intended targets to Thiago Alcântara. The midfielder made a mess of his attempted clearance, slicing into the path of Jonjo Shelvey who had time to pick his spot and swept a fine finish inside the rooted Alisson’s right-hand post from distance. Liverpool almost responded immediately with Mané hitting a post from Salah’s exquisite pass, although he was offside when found behind the Newcastle defence.
The breaks started to go against Howe’s team thereafter. Lewis pulled up with a hamstring injury, handing substitute Matt Ritchie the task of stifling Salah, and controversy surrounded Liverpool’s equaliser when Mike Dean allowed play to continue when Isaac Hayden went down with a head injury inside the Newcastle penalty area.
Hayden collided with Fabian Schär when his teammate cleared a Liverpool corner and remained on the ground as the ball was returned to Mané. Hayden played Jota onside as Mané crossed to the far post, where the Portugal international’s header was well saved by Dubravka but his rebound was drilled emphatically into the roof of the net. The Newcastle bench and players understandably raged at Dean’s decision to play on but the referee was unmoved.
Another error by Thiago almost regifted Newcastle the lead, his careless crossfield ball giving Saint-Maximin the opportunity to break away from Konaté and draw a fine save from Alisson low to his right. There was no reprieve for Shelvey when he erred moments later.
The former Liverpool midfielder blotted his night’s work with a terrible backpass that was pounced upon by the ever-alert Mané. He attempted to prod an awkward shot past Dubravka and, though the keeper blocked with his legs, the rebound fell Liverpool’s way for a second time. Salah made no mistake with the loose ball, tucking his 22nd goal of the season inside the near post.
With Callum Wilson rested on the bench and Joelinton part of a five-man midfield Saint-Maximin had an arduous task of leading the Newcastle line alone. He worked tirelessly to unsettle Liverpool’s defence and sent Jacob Murphy scurrying clear down the right to cross for Fraser who, closing in on Alisson’s goal, was denied by a perfectly executed tackle from Alexander-Arnold.
Newcastle fans appealed for a penalty but the Liverpool defender had swept the ball from under the winger’s toes. Murphy, with a curling effort from the corner of the area, and Shelvey, with a 25-yard free-kick, both went close as the visitors threatened to equalise in a purposeful second half display. Saint-Maximin injured his knee in the build-up to the Fraser chance and was eventually replaced by Wilson.
Liverpool sealed victory in stunning style when a free-kick found its way to the feet of Alexander-Arnold 25 yards from goal. Anfield roared “Shoot” as the defender took aim and their advice was repaid by an unstoppable bullet that flew into the Newcastle keeper’s top corner. – Guardian