Targets from Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo and a brace from Mohamed Salah had been sufficient to safe Liverpool a vital 4-2 win over Newcastle United.
The Reds had been completely dominant at Anfield on New 12 months’s Day, having 32 makes an attempt on aim and accumulating an xG over seven (the very 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 may’ve thumped Newcastle.
The win sees Liverpool open up a 3 level lead atop of the Premier League desk, whereas Newcastle drop all the way 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 aim simply two minutes in, when a Trent Alexander-Arnold effort from exterior the field spun narrowly large of the foot of the left put up following a deflection.
Ten minutes later, Alexander-Arnold turned supplier within the remaining third to create the house group’s subsequent opening. The precise-back fired a midfield-splitting move into the ft of Darwin Nunez who, after taking part in a fast one-two with Mohamed Salah, discovered himself by on aim on the suitable of the penalty space. The out-of-form striker – who has scored only one aim 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 aim 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 – successful a penalty for his aspect after dancing previous Svan Botman. Up stepped Salah to take the ensuing spot kick and, very surprisingly, the celebrity ahead noticed his strike straight down the centre of the aim saved by Dubravka.
Regardless of being totally outplayed within the first half, Newcastle handle to seek out the again of the earlier than half-time. Dan Burn rose highest on the again put up following a fast counter assault to go residence, however the aim was dominated out for offside through a VAR verify.
Seemingly angered by virtually seeing a aim be conceded from his defensive aspect, Alexander-Arnold got here inside a whisker of scoring the aim of the season thus far within the forty first minute. The precise-back volleyed the ball violently from a good angle on the suitable flank over the pinnacle of Dubravka, and simply off the fallacious aspect of the put up and away from hazard.
After huffing and puffing within the first half, Liverpool lastly acquired their aim at first 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 probabilities to double his aspect’s lead – being denied by Dubravka on each events.
Nunez and Liverpool had been made to rue stated miss alternatives within the 53rd minute, when Alexander Isak stormed by on aim after latching onto a defence-splitting move. And with what appeared like his first two touches of the ball through the sport, Isak was capable of management earlier than delicately dinking over Alisson to make it 1-1.
A annoyed 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 an excellent probability 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 aim with simply 20 minutes remaining. One other incisive attacking transfer led to Salah slipping the ball by to Diogo Jota on the suitable 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 residence the ball after Salah curled a pleasant cross with the skin of his foot into the hazard space.
Newcastle had been capable of bag one other comfort aim within the eightieth minute by Sven Botman. The centre-back rose highest from a set piece to nod residence the fifth aim of a frantic sport.
The goalscoring did not finish there both, with Dubravka clipping the heels of Jota within the field to offer 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 approach that no different full-back can do.
CB: Ibrahima Konate – 6/10 – He did not have a large 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 fallacious once more in his new position.
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai – 6/10 – Liverpool followers had been maybe anticipating him to be a bit more practical within the remaining third than what he was.
CM: Wataru Endo – 7/10 – A battling outing in opposition to bodily Newcastle midfield.
CM: Curtis Jones – 8/10 – Labored onerous in the course of the park and supplied some high quality on the ball too.
RW: Mohamed Salah – 9/10 – Missed a penalty within the first half, after which was totally unplayable within the second. He scored a brace and arrange one other. Prime class.
ST: Darwin Nunez – 5/10 – A reasonably disastrous outing in entrance of aim, lacking probability after probability, nevertheless he did contribute a tidy help to assist Salah open the scoring.
LW: Luis Diaz – 7/10 – Scored an offside aim within the first half and was typically very vigorous 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 aim.
SUB: Cody Gakpo (63′ for Nunez) – 7/10 – The Dutch worldwide bagged Liverpool’s third aim. 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 had been a pleasure to look at 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 actual – and one was a penalty. Gorgeous outing.
RB: Tino Livramento – 3/10 – Had his work minimize out for him up in opposition to Diaz.
CB: Fabian Schar – 2/10 – He could not cope with Liverpool’s offensive prowess in any respect.
CB: Sven Botman – 3/10 – Gave away a penalty within the first half and customarily struggled up in opposition to Nunez. Scored a late comfort aim.
LB: Dan Burn – 1/10 – It appeared like a mismatch in opposition to 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 – Lower a annoyed 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 probability within the sport and he took it.
LW: Anthony Gordon – 6/10 – Arrange Isak’s aim with a stunning move, however appeared 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 utterly misplaced their defensive form in latest weeks. They had been all over at Anfield.
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