Newcastle United fans have praised their side for what they saw as an encouraging performance despite losing 2-0 to Liverpool at St James' Park.
Goals from Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo inside the opening 20 minutes blew Newcastle's usually robust defence apart, as Jurgen Klopp's side raced into a two-goal lead. Things quickly went from bad to worse for the hosts when Nick Pope was shown a straight red card by Anthony Taylor for handling the ball outside of the box.
The sending off means that Pope will now be suspended for the Carabao Cup final clash with Manchester United next Sunday. It was a bitter blow for Eddie Howe as he will now have to turn to Loris Karius between the sticks at Wembley - with Martin Dubravka being cup-tied following his one appearance in the competition for Man United during his brief loan spell at Old Trafford.
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Newcastle battled back into the game and in truth looked the more likely side to score for the remainder of the match. Allan Saint-Maximin was a constant thorn in Liverpool's side as he demonstrated why he deserves a starting spot in the nation's capital next weekend.
Despite losing just their second match in the top-flight this season - both times against Liverpool - Newcastle fans took heart from what they saw as a spirited display. As the full-time whistle blew, the Toon Army took to social media to show that they are still upbeat in spite of the loss.
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