Targets from Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo and a brace from Mohamed Salah have been sufficient to safe Liverpool an important 4-2 win over Newcastle United.
The Reds have been completely dominant at Anfield on New 12 months’s Day, having 32 makes an attempt on purpose and accumulating an xG over seven (the best within the league’s historical past). Had it not been for an in-form Martin Dubravka and an out-of-form Darwin Nunez, Liverpool might’ve thumped Newcastle.
The win sees Liverpool open up a 3 level lead atop of the Premier League desk, whereas Newcastle drop right down to ninth within the desk.
How the sport unfolded
Attacking towards the Kop finish within the first half, Liverpool began the sport extraordinarily brightly, pinning Newcastle United again into their very own defensive third. That early stress would virtually culminate in a purpose simply two minutes in, when a Trent Alexander-Arnold effort from outdoors the field spun narrowly vast of the foot of the left publish following a deflection.
Ten minutes later, Alexander-Arnold turned supplier within the closing third to create the house group’s subsequent opening. The best-back fired a midfield-splitting go into the ft of Darwin Nunez who, after taking part in a fast one-two with Mohamed Salah, discovered himself via on purpose on the correct of the penalty space. The out-of-form striker – who has scored only one purpose in since early November – was unable to beat Martin Dubravka together with his subsequent strike.
Within the 18th minute, Liverpool deservedly had the ball behind the web, with Luis Diaz firing into the underside nook of the web. The purpose was, sadly chalked off for a slender offside after a quite prolonged VAR verify.
Virtually straight from the restart, Diaz was again within the motion within the field – profitable a penalty for his facet after dancing previous Svan Botman. Up stepped Salah to take the ensuing spot kick and, very surprisingly, the famous person ahead noticed his strike straight down the centre of the purpose saved by Dubravka.
Regardless of being completely outplayed within the first half, Newcastle handle to search out the again of the earlier than half-time. Dan Burn rose highest on the again publish following a fast counter assault to move dwelling, however the purpose was dominated out for offside through a VAR verify.
Seemingly angered by virtually seeing a purpose be conceded from his defensive facet, Alexander-Arnold got here inside a whisker of scoring the purpose of the season thus far within the forty first minute. The best-back volleyed the ball violently from a decent angle on the correct flank over the top of Dubravka, and simply off the flawed facet of the publish and away from hazard.
After huffing and puffing within the first half, Liverpool lastly received their purpose in the beginning of the second. A sweeping transfer led by the Reds’ attacking trio culminated in Nunez squaring to Salah, who made no mistake together with his end – tapping into an empty web from eight yards out.
Moments later, Nunez would spurn to nice possibilities to double his facet’s lead – being denied by Dubravka on each events.
Nunez and Liverpool have been made to rue mentioned miss alternatives within the 53rd minute, when Alexander Isak stormed via on purpose after latching onto a defence-splitting go. And with what appeared like his first two touches of the ball through the recreation, Isak was capable of management earlier than delicately dinking over Alisson to make it 1-1.
A pissed off Klopp made a sea of adjustments after conceding, rejigging his frontline by bringing on Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota on the hour mark. The previous would miss a terrific likelihood straight after coming off the bench, firing a volley straight into the mid-riff of Dubravka from level clean vary.
With their xG sitting at a quite ridiculous 4, the Reds managed to get an all-important second purpose with simply 20 minutes remaining. One other incisive attacking transfer led to Salah slipping the ball via to Diogo Jota on the correct of the field, earlier than the substitute unselfishly squared to Curtis Jones who was capable of faucet into an empty web.
Quickly after, it was 3-1. Gakpo was available to bundle dwelling the ball after Salah curled a pleasant cross with the skin of his foot into the hazard space.
Newcastle have been capable of bag one other comfort purpose within the eightieth minute via Sven Botman. The centre-back rose highest from a set piece to nod dwelling the fifth purpose of a frantic recreation.
The goalscoring did not finish there both, with Dubravka clipping the heels of Jota within the field to present Salah an opportunity to make it 4-2 – an opportunity that he was capable of take, slotting into the underside left nook of the web.
GK: Alisson Becker – 6/10 – He had nothing to besides choose the ball out of his web.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7/10 – Distinctive on the ball, spraying the ball round in a means that no different full-back can do.
CB: Ibrahima Konate – 6/10 – He did not have an enormous quantity to do.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – 6/10 – Caught out within the lead as much as Newcastle’s equaliser.
LB: Joe Gomez – 6/10 – He did not do a lot flawed once more in his new function.
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai – 6/10 – Liverpool followers have been maybe anticipating him to be a bit more practical within the closing third than what he was.
CM: Wataru Endo – 7/10 – A battling outing towards bodily Newcastle midfield.
CM: Curtis Jones – 8/10 – Labored arduous in the course of the park and offered some high quality on the ball too.
RW: Mohamed Salah – 9/10 – Missed a penalty within the first half, after which was completely unplayable within the second. He scored a brace and arrange one other. High class.
ST: Darwin Nunez – 5/10 – A reasonably disastrous outing in entrance of purpose, lacking likelihood after likelihood, nonetheless he did contribute a tidy help to assist Salah open the scoring.
LW: Luis Diaz – 7/10 – Scored an offside purpose within the first half and was usually very full of life out and in of possession all through.
Substitutes
SUB: Diogo Jota (63′ for Diaz) – 7/10 – Got here on and made a distinction as soon as once more, establishing Liverpool’s second purpose.
SUB: Cody Gakpo (63′ for Nunez) – 7/10 – The Dutch worldwide bagged Liverpool’s third purpose. Certainly he has to start out forward of Nunez subsequent week.
SUB: Ryan Gravenberch (63′ for Szoboszlai) – 6/10
SUB: Alexis Mac Allister (76′ for Endo) – N/A
Supervisor – Jurgen Klopp – 8/10 – His group have been a pleasure to observe on Monday night. As fluid as they have been in a really very long time.
GK: Martin Dubravka – 8/10 – He made a silly quantity of saves. 10 to be precise – and one was a penalty. Beautiful outing.
RB: Tino Livramento – 3/10 – Had his work reduce out for him up towards Diaz.
CB: Fabian Schar – 2/10 – He could not take care of Liverpool’s offensive prowess in any respect.
CB: Sven Botman – 3/10 – Gave away a penalty within the first half and usually struggled up towards Nunez. Scored a late comfort purpose.
LB: Dan Burn – 1/10 – It seemed like a mismatch towards Salah, and it was. He could not lay a glove on his reverse quantity.
CM: Lewis Miley – 4/10 – Struggled to maintain up with tempo of play from Liverpool.
CM: Bruino Guimaraes – 3/10 – A quite clumsy outing from the Brazilian.
CM: Sean Longstaff – 4/10 – Minimize a pissed off determine for a lot of the sport.
RW: Joelinton – 3/10 – Means too many foolish fouls, even by his requirements.
ST: Alexander Isak – 7/10 – Had one likelihood within the recreation and he took it.
LW: Anthony Gordon – 6/10 – Arrange Isak’s purpose with a stunning go, however seemed leggy in any other case.
Substitutes
SUB: Miguel Almiron (54′ for Miley) – 5/10
SUB: Jamal Lascelles (82′ for Burn) – N/A
SUB: Lewis Corridor (82′ for Joelinton) – N/A
Supervisor – Eddie Howe – 3/10 – Accidents have not helped, however Howe’s group appear to have fully misplaced their defensive form in current weeks. They have been all over at Anfield.
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