Which means we’re done here. Thanks all for your company and comments, sorry I couldn’t use them all; enjoy the rest of the weekend. Peace out.
Here’s Louise Taylor’s match report:
On Sky, Jamie Carragher says he doesn’t think Liverpool have the squad to win the league, and I agree; Andros Townsend notes the role – that I missed – played by Harvey Elliott, whose composed passing gave them tempo.
Nunez speaks for about 45 minutes, and Alisson now has to translate. He says he’s very happy, the team did really well, and he’s worked very hard for this kind of moment. “Thank you for your support,” he says to close, in English, then Alexander-Arnold explains that the plan was to kill the atmosphere and that didn’t work out. But the team dug deep, produced a performance “for the ages” and despite the long list of brilliant days under Klopp, this is still a great one.
When you play as a unit, adds Alisson, you can do a lot on the pitch, such as making it smaller, and at half-time they said they could do it, that they’d get chances.
Back to Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool didn’t think they could win, necessarily, but knew they’d get chances, that Newcastle would tire too, and if you stick together you can make stuff happen. he reserves particular praise for Jerrell Quansah, then asked about the red card that wasn’t, agrees he was unlucky to be booked to begin with, and doesn’t say much about the card he swerved. The team will be very proud of the win and will look back on it with pride in years to come.
Finally, Alisson agrees his save from Almiron was “really good” – friends, it was much, much better than that – explaining that “today was about passion”.
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So what does Klopp do from here? He can’t, surely, leave Nunez out against Villa next week, so who does he replace? Diaz, on the left, or Gakpo through the middle? If he still thinks Nunez can be a centre-forward, I’d say the latter.
I totally understand why Howe was circumspect in his substitutions, but by protecting a narrow lead against a team so well-furnished in attack, he was asking for trouble. Quite how Nunez twice found space beyond his back four is a question well worth asking, but he was the one who removed Gordon, hitherto the game’s most threatening attacker, and swapped Tonali for Longstaff.
Klopp salutes the now-raucous away end, and looks absolutely delighted. His team, an expression of him, hung in there well; his midfield will settle; and his expensive centre-forward might just’ve found himself. I still think he’s got problems because his defence is a mess, I’m not sure his team can keep the ball against top teams, and how does he decide which front three to pick? But in the meantime, that’s a fantastic win.
“‘The thing about Darwin Nunez, by the way,’” says Duncan Bonnett quoting me back to myself, “‘is like other erratic finishers I can think of – Diego Forlán comes to mind – he either makes things happen or happens upon things as they’re happening and has the ability to do the difficult things, it’s just never clear when he might and in the meantime, he often makes a mess of the simple ones.’ Was this lifted from Through The Looking Glass? The Madhatter’s Tea Party comes to mind! And describes Nunez perfectly!”
I can totally see him guzzling something saying “eat me” and wondering why strange stuff happened thereafter.
Newcastle look very, very poorly and well they might. They’ve learnt a harsh lesson today, one that’ll rankle for quite some time. Long term, they still look in better than Liverpool, but as we said earlier, elite-level attackers and attacking options can cover a multitude of flaws.
FULL TIME: Newcastle United 1-2 Liverpool
Darwin Nunez has done it! The 10 men have done it! Liverpool have somehow stolen the game, and look at their faces! Just look at their faces!
90+6 min Trippier swing in, Pope bobs up , the ball drops behind, and that is surely that!
90+6 min Newcastle win a free-kick out on the right, 45 yards from goal, and up comes Pope…
90+4 min I said things happen when Nunez is around, and perhaps today is the day his life changes. He’s got the ability, and now he’s got a moment; can he convert it to momentum?
GOAL! Newcastle United 1-2 Liverpool (Nunez 90+4)
OH MY ABSOLUTE COMPLETE AND UTTER EVERLASTING DAYS! Out of nothing, Salah slides a glorious straight pass in behind and Nunez, so often so clumsy, again takes a moment, composes, and slots a second expert’s finish across Pope and he’s won the game for Liverpool! Football is a stone-cold lunatic!
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90+3 min Another ball into the box, this time from Trippier, and at the front post, Longstaff almost runs past the pass, trying a flick that hits Alisson!
90+2 min Schar fouls Jota, and Liverpool have a chance to stick a ball in the box … but opt to keep their big boys back, go square, and quickly lose possession.
90 min We’ll have five added minutes.
89 min Here comes Newcastle in search of a winner, and Barnes slides the ball across the box for Almiron, again opening body … and this time, the connection is excellent, but Robertson blocks with his back. There’s a penalty appeal but nothing doing, so Newcastle build again and Longstaff, galumphing through midfield, leathers a low shot that Alisson gathers easily enough.
88 min The thing about Darwin Nunez, by the way, is like other erratic finishers I can think of – Diego Forlán comes to mind – he either makes things happen or happens upon things as they’re happening and has the ability to do the difficult things, it’s just never clear when he might and in the meantime, he often makes a mess of the simple ones.
87 min Yup, Targett replaces Botman, so Burn will fill in at centre-back with the new kid taking the left-back spot.
84 min Can Newcastle come again? Szoboszlai fouls Trippier, Nunez is booked for kicking the ball away, and Trippier paints a ball into the box that achieves nothing other than an injury for Botman. He looks to have hurt an ankle or knee, and this might be him for today.
83 min You could see Liverpool growing into this, and I wonder if Newcastle might regret the slightly negative nature of their substitutions. He might’ve tried to finish the game, and in the course of trying to hold on, ceded the territory that allowed Liverpool to believe.
GOAL! Newcastle United 1-1 Liverpool (Nunez 81)
Salah turns around the corner and Jota feeds a clever ball in behind for Nunez, but Botman has it under control … until the ball his his arse, he loses his man in the maelstrom of seeking it, and Nunez strides into the box, sets, and leathers a tremendous finish past Pope and low inside the far post!
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79 min Ball over the top, Nunez onside … all he has to do it control it into stride and he might be in … but his touch forces him to check, Burn pilfers possession, and then Newcastle attack with Barnes, whose poor touch forces him into a shot … blocked at source while, in the middle, Wilson is furious he wasn’t found.
77 min Two more changes for Liverpool, Nunez and Quansah, making his debut, for Mac Allister and Matip.
76 min Almiron gets on the ball and abruptly stomps onto the gas, veering infield and leaving two challenges trailing, opening angle and body to target the far post … which he smacks full in the face! That was nearly the game, but Liverpool survive.
76 min Trippier barges Jota off a high ball and Liverpool want a penalty, but nothing doing, then Pope takes a short goalkick before clipping a return pass out wide. His improvement in that regard is very impressive.
74 min Nice from Newcastle, Trippier into Almiron who backheles down the line for Longstaff. He crosses pretty well too, but at the near post, Wilson can’t fold neck around ball, directing his header wide of the near post.
73 min I guess that tells us what Howe’s thinking: first and foremost, keep the lead.
72 min Two changes for Newcastle, Wilson and Barnes for Isak and Gordon – who’s played well. Oh, and Tonali also departs, Longstaff replacing him.
71 min Liverpool are playing with a bit more confidence now, and know that Newcastle neither want to see out the 1-0 nor go for 2. The game remains in the balance.
69 min On the touchline, Callum Wilson is stripped and ready. I assume he’ll come on for Isak, but the two in tandem sounds like everything this Liverpool defence doesn’t need.
67 min Look how quickly he redeems himself though! Jota slides a gorgeous reverse-pass down the left side of the box and Salah’s onto it! But Botman slides his frame into the block immediately, the ball goes behind, and that is pure, uncut Newcastle. The intensity and application with which they play is fantastic.
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67 min Trippier’s delivery is decent too, but Botman, up well, heads over the top.
66 min Jota fouls Trippier and Newcastle have a free-kick down the right, towards the touchline but more or less level with the edge of the box.
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64 min Newcastle will want another goal, but they’ll be wary of going top hard … but excuse me while I interrupt myself! Gordon gets the ball wide on the left, zooms infield and across Robertson, Matip and Gomez, then snaps a shot a yard or so wide of what’s now the near post.
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62 min Liverpool are improving, or at least having a less bad five minutes. They win a free-kick which Robertson flights into the middle … and Gomez heads high and wide.
60 min Flash of Liverpool, Elliott into Szoboszlai and out to Jota, who looks to feed a square pass into the middle … but Joelinton quickly closes the gap. His conversion from chugging striker to midfield beast is frankly ridiculous.
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59 min I guess Elliott will play deep in midfield, with Jota off the left.
59 min Changes for Liverpool, Elliott and Jota for Endo and Gakpo.
57 min Trippier does well to feed Tonali down the line and he eases away from Matip before crossing low towards the back post … but Gomez kicks away before it can reach Gordon.
55 min “Re the Van Dijk sending off,” says Ben Blatch-Hanlon, “I’m a Newcastle fan but was a little surprised that it was given as a red card. Isak was clearly through on goal regardless of Carragher’s nonsense, but while it was a clear foul I did think Van Dijk was trying to get the ball (as shown by the fact he took it, albeit after going straight through Isak and fouling him). My understanding of the DOGSO rule was that it was meant to apply where defenders had brought down the attacker with no attempt at the ball so in my view that would have been completely fine as a booking.
Not that I’m complaining in the circumstances of course, especially after TAA got away with a blatant second yellow earlier, and after the way Van Dijk was clearly screaming profanities in the referee’s face before going off I’d say he deserved it!”
It’s only a yellow not a red if the challenge was inside the box, to avoid the double jeopardy of red card and goal.
53 min I wonder if Newcastle might try Harvey Barnes soon. I know he likes the left and no chance Gordon comes off, but him keeping the width on the right will stretch Liverpool and open up the half-spaces, I reckon.
52 min Liverpool are offering very little. They’re miles away, and they know it.
50 min Again, Newcastle move down the left, Joelinton taking his turn to embarrass Alexander-Arnold by bustling inside and crossing low for Almiron, arriving at the far post … and he opens body to punch a riser high over the bar! That was 2021-22 him; 2022-23 him punishes that home.
49 min “Van Dijk’s language towards the officials is not the problem,” reckons Mary Waltz. “As long as they don’t bring family, spouses into it I am sure they have heard much worse. It’s the physical intimidation that enrages me. Yell. Complain all you want. But they crowd, bump, make the officials back away from 2, 3 4 players at a time. Send out a notice that any physical contact with a official is an automatic red card and this will stop.”
I agree with the second part of this, and also that any adult should be able to wear being called a whatever. But the way players behave is imitated at grassroots, and it’s a very serious problem for the game.
47 min And here comes Gordon again, chucking lollipops before dipping inside this time, wriggling through a tiny gap between Alexander-Arnold and Szoboszlai like a man jumping onto the Tube as the doors close. Again, his low cross is decent, but Isak can’t quite turn it goalwards, the ball curving wide of the near post.
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46 min Gordon has Alexander-Arnold on everyone’s favourite dish, absolute toast. And he dashes by again, going on the outside before snapping over a low cross that Matip’s go go gadget leg takes away from Isak … just.
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46 min Liverpool are in a 4-4-1, with Gakpo looking to make it a 4-3-2 whenever possible.
46 min We go again…
Harry Kane has scored a penalty for Bayern, who now lead Augsburg 2-0; never has a man loved low-hanging fruit as much.
“I may be biased as a Newcastle fan,” writes Thornthawat Thongnab, “but Isak’s body was through on goal, the ball was with him, and Van Dijk clearly nicked Isak’s leg before getting the ball. How is that not a simple call for denial of clear goalscoring opportunity? Also baffled by the international commentators saying that this should’ve been a yellow.”
I agree. The ball wasn’t running away, and the incident raises what I think is an interesting question: should it matter who the player is when we decide if an offence was worthy of a red card? Isak has a gorgeous touch and a dead man’s composure, so I was certain he was in.
On Sky, Jamie Carragher chastises Van Dijk’s application in allowing Isak by him, and his rashness in tackling. He says we don’t know it was a goalscoring opportunity as we didn’t see Isak’s first touch, so Townsend points out that the reason for that is the foul itself. Carragher has no sensible retort because there isn’t one, but he carries on arguing nevertheless.
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“I never loved him like I loved Torres, but every time Liverpool play Newcastle, I miss seeing Suarez,” admits Matt Dony. “He scored more ‘spectacular’ goals (Hello, Norwich!), but that goal against Newcastle is one of my favourites ever scored by anybody. It was pure, unadulterated technique and improvisation, and so unique. I’ve never seen another goal quite like it. I’m certainly not going to defend his character on the pitch, but there have been very few footballers who could do the things Suarez could do.”
I agree. I was in Amsterdam not long after he signed and was assured by a table of Ajax fans that he wasn’t all that. Soon after, I was an away fan stood in Anfield Road right down the front, when this happened in front of me.
Half-time email: “Totally agree with your Van Dijk synopsis,” writes John Donnelly. “He used to have a large window of time to clear any danger because he had different ways to do it, and pace as back up. It isn’t just that he no longer has that pace as back up (or call it the Kyle Walker effect), he now has added pressure from the shorter window to make the right decision and fewer options to deal with any danger, which will ultimately lead to more mistakes and less confidence.”
On top of which, he knows he’s got lesser quality around him.
HALF-TIME: Newcastle United 1-0 Liverpool
An excellent first half from Newcastle; a disastrous one for Liverpool.
45+3 min The resultant corner comes to nothing, Tonali’s aggression enough to get the ball away and after battling through a challenge or two spins away from Szoboszlai, deploys feet to works space down the line, and is happy enough when Gomez boots him to the ground.
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45+2 min Tonali concedes a free-kick which Robertson swings towards the back post, Joelinton doing well to poke away from Gomez.
45+2 min “I’m listening to radio commentators,” says Robert King, “incredulous at the sending off and VAR.He got the ball , is their opinion.”
That doesn’t mean it’s not a red I’m afraid. Van Dijk did get the ball, but he had to boot Isak first. Well, that’s my reading anyway; I might be wrong, I often am.
45+1 min We’ll have four additional minutes.
45+1 min …which Szoboszlai larrups over the top.
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45 min At last a bit of Liverpool, Mac Allister spinning away from Almiron and Guimaraes, who foul him. Free-kick Liverpool, 35 yards out, dead centre…
43 min “There are times watching games when I admit my internal monologue directs some choice vituperation in the direction of officials,” says Sean O’Keefe, “but watching Van Dijk spit ‘Fuck you’ in the referee’s face turned the stomach. Disgraceful.”
I don’t like to judge because I can’t imagine for a second the emotion, but I do agree players need to have a serious think about their behaviour.
42 min Newcastle knock it about, Liverpool chase.
40 min “You can blame the cruciate for many things,” reckons David Singleton, “but I don’t think you can blame it on that. Last I checked the cruciate ligament wasn’t in your brain and that was just stupid. Or perhaps frustration with having to play next to Alexander-Arnold.”
It’s not as simple as that, I don’t think. For the entirety of his career, Van Dijk’s been able to rely on his power and pace, now he can’t. I’d be amazed if those losses haven’t affected his mentality – old him might’ve let Isak go assuming he’d have caught up and made the tackle or block – but I agree, the state of things around him won’t be helping.
39 min Newcastle’s midfield are wiping the floor with Liverpool’s. It’s that simple.
37 min Alisson’s a funny one in that the majority of his big saves look like bad misses. Of course, his positioning and aura are also a huge part of that, and here he is again coming to punch out a cross, Newcastle recycling the ball and finding Almiron who swipes wide.
36 min OH MY DAYS WHAT A SAVE! Newcastle win a corner down the right, the ball is cleared just as far as Almiron on the edge, and he chests down beautifully before annihilating a volley brutally … which a flying Alisson shoves onto the bar and out before knocking the rebound clear! That is sensational behaviour.
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34 min In co-comms, Gary Neville notes that he knows how Alexander-Arnold is feeling.
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33 min Change for Liverpool, Gomez replacing Diaz. I don’t suppose Klopp had any other option there, there’s far too long left in the game for anything funky – though he needs a goal.
31 min Many aeons after the original offence, Schaer looks to clip the free-kick over the wall, 20 yards out, just left of the D … but hits it, and Tonali’s shot is then deflected wide for a corner that comes to nowt.
30 min Van Dijk doesn’t want to go, but he’s going to have to, and his momentary refusal so to do isn’t going to do him or the game any good. Isak got down the near side of him – it’s also ball-side – and Van Dijk kicks through him en route to knocking the ball away. I hate to say it, but very few do a cruciate in their late-20s and come back the same; he didn’t hasn’t, and is nowhere near the colossus he once was.
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RED CARD FOR VIRGIL VAN DIJK!
28 min Goodness me! Again it’s Gordon, coming inside then sliding a ball in behind for Isak … ands Van Dijk, caught out, kicks through him rashly, just outside the box! That’s clumsy at best, and I can’t see VAR overturning that.
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GOAL! Newcastle United 1-0 Liverpool (25)
Klopp should’ve taken Alexander-Arnold off! He’ll wish the ref had sent him off! Because this is all him, a pass sent back to him from Salah – if we’re being generous, not a friendly one – but that’s no excuse for letting it pass under his studs, a straight loss of concentration and nothing else. So Gordon seizes upon it, streaking away from Van Dijk, drawing Alisson – it’s a pretty good likeness too! – and slotting under Alisson’s under-carriage!
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24 min Szoboszlai into Gakpo, who finds Salah with Burn on the retreat, side-on to show him down the line. For all the good it does him, Salah cutting inside when it suits him only to curl a shot straight at Pope.
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23 min I thought this would be a frantic, fizzing game. So far, it isn’t, and I wonder whether that’s because at this point, Liverpool aren’t capable of engaging in one against Newcastle.
21 min “Yes but in fairness Rashford’s was as close to simulation as he gets, or some fans are willing to admit,” says Nina. “It was at least an exaggeration for me! (Telling that on MOTD they had to zoom for the merest of of thigh glances.) I’m neither a Newcastle nor Liverpool fan, just think it doesn’t help to make the point that simulation isn’t part of the game, as it has its clear benefits, it just didn’t work for Gordon this time!”
Who’s making that point? Of course it helps, but if there’s a foul it’s irrelevant and in both cases I think we can see, precisely, that there was. Rashford knows if he goes on the outside the defender has a problem, but the defender’s thigh also caught him and how well MOTD analyse something isn’t relevant I don’t think.
20 min This looks a lot like a team on the way up against one on the way down, the former pushing the pace but without the quality and composure to seize the moment and the latter waiting for that moment.
18 min The resultant corner comes to nowt.
17 min Newcastle look the more fluid outfit but Liverpool have ridiculous ability in attack and here they are now, Szoboszlai flipping a switch out to Diaz who drives for the box, defenders backpeddling and doing just enough to close down prospective shooting lanes, the eventual effort a stabbed futsal-style toe-bunger that Pope shovels around the post.
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16 min It’s a messy start, but as I type, Guimaraes runs studs over the ball 25 yards out – he’s a lovely footballer – battles through two tackles, and when the ball squirts loose, a touch from Gordon allows Isak to set wide for Joelinton … whose shot is straight at Alisson.
14 min “Gordon is an annoying little brat,” says Joe Pearson, “and was obviously trying to buy the second yellow. He was not seriously impeded. If that had been in the box, Gordon would have been carded for simulation. (Yes, I’m a Liverpool fan).”
I don’t know about that; I think Alexander-Arnold pulled him down with a hand on the shoulder, and Gordon’s intention isn’t relevant because it’s still a foul. That’s my reading of things anyway, not dissimilar to those as regards the penalty Marcus Rashford won for Man united yesterday.
13 min Trippier aims for Burn towards the far post but Liverpool defend well enough and Diaz wins a throw.
12 min Guimaraes flicks the ball over his own head, eases away from Mac Allister … and wears the inevitable foul. Free-kick Newcastle, 45 yards out, almost dead centre.
10 min On the touchline, Joe Gomez is warming up; Klopp might feel he can’t simply hope Alexander-Arnold stay’s out of trouble for the remaining 1,593 minutes, especially given Gordon will target him and Barnes can take over when he’s tired.
8 min Looking again and trying to cut the ref some slack, maybe we could say it was just a foul and not every foul is a card. But Gordon was away, Alexander-Arnold made no attempt to make a fair challenge, and I’ve no idea how we justify the call – all the more so if the minor toss we saw earlier is a yellow.
6 min Gordon nails Alexander-Arnold on the outside! And I really want to refrain from saying stuff like this, but it looks like the ref bottles handing out a second yellow card! Gordon was away, any other player and I’m sure it’s booking … but John Brooks says not!
5 min Gordon barges through the back of Alexander-Arnold who, on his back, tosses the ball away when no free-kick is awarded, and is booked.
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4 min Liverpool are pressing high, and it’s this new midfield that’s allowing them to. On which point, I should note that Gakpo is no longer in it, restored to centre-forward to allow Endo in.
3 min Ah, it’s back. Alisson is well out of his goal, participating in the buildup while Gordon fills a space infield to prevent Alexander-Arnold inverting.
3 min The clock on the top of the screen stopped and has now disappeared, so please excuse any slightly off timestamps as, well, I’ll be , er, making them up, all by my little self.
2 min Alexander-Arnold clips to the edge of the six-yard box, where Matip, under the ball and under pressure, heads over.
1 min Liverpool go back to Matip, who immediately whacks long to no one. But Liverpool win it back on halfway and Szoboszlai wins a corner off Burn. Good start from the visitors.
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1 min And away we go!
“It’ll be interesting to see which Newcastle United turns up today,” reckons Ben Bronx. “The team that tore Aston Villa apart or the team that barely laid a glove on Manchester City. I think this game will give us a good indication on if they can compete for a Champions League spot again this season.”
I’m sure they can, and most likely, that’ll be determined by consistency against the teams below them. But a win today would be a significant statement.
The teams are tunnelled and here they come!
Tino Asprilla is on the ground. Never forget that whatever he did on the pitch was eclipsed by him turning up in Newcastle wearing one of football’s great coats.
#onthisday 1996: Faustino Asprilla signed for Newcastle in a sheepskin coat pic.twitter.com/vK8ZlYVrrd
— Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) January 25, 2018
My guess is that Liverpool also look to target wide areas. I’m certain they’ll think Salah has the beating of Burn, while Trippier’s desire to attack offers Luis Diaz an opportunity. What might well decide the game, though, is the midfield battle: Joelinton, Tonali, Guimaraes v Endo, Mac Allister, Szboszlai. On the face of things, I fancy Newcastle, as they’re more familiar with each other and might also be better individuals, but Liverpool’s trio probably has more goals in it.
Eddie Howe tells Sky that when Newcastle deliver against strong opponents, they commit to the performance. His players know what’s expected of them and the crowd will be there for them as they always are, but the team need to be too. It’s a tough league, and though Newcastle had difficult experiences against Liverpool last season, they’re not focused on that. Tactically, he has to deal with Alexander-Arnold moving into midfield – he was asked whether he’d be targeting the gap, but notes that the tweak came along with a succession of good Liverpool performances.
It’s interesting that Klopp has made plans so specific for today, he felt unable to pick a player who missed the session. I imagine he’s worked hard on shutting down the flanks because everyone now knows – years later than they should’ve done – that they’re vulnerable in that area. I daresay he’ll also have given his midfield three specific instructions about where to be and when, covering for the defenders while supporting the attack.
Klopp says once he saw Endo was fit he was always going to start, but Jota is missing because he missed an important tactical session yesterday, due to a cold. From tomorrow, he’ll have Jones and Thiago back.
“G’Day Dan,” begins Chris Paraskevas. “This is a real litmus test for Howe, Jason ‘Mad Dog’ Tindall and co. I think they fluffed their lines tactically and performance-wise at the Etihad last week, so there’s added pressure here. Over the years us Newcastle fans have subjected to way too many replays of ‘that’ Collymore goal. Why don’t we see more replays of Andy Caroll diving like (pre-Guy Ritchie) Jason Statham when presented with a tap-in, Reina’s red card and Jose Enrique having to play goalkeeper? You just had to be there (and by ‘there’ I mean drunk in a Sydney dive-bar with barely enough money to get home).”
Tooheys, I hope.
Email! “Herr Jurgen has passed his 7-year period at Liverpool,” notes Jeff Sax. “And so they will not challenge the top three this season.”
I’m not sure there’s a bar that means a genius like Klopp is no longer effective, but Liverpool succcess was underpinned not just by him but by the best run of transfer business possibly in the history of the game. Replacing the likes of Mané, Fabinho and Henderson is hard enough, but to do it within a budget, for the kind of money they cost? Almost impossible.
Pretty sure I said this this time last week, but Andros Townsend is an excellent analyst and tries to cut through the bantz with serious questions and thoughts. I wonder if he could do the co-comm job, because I don’t think Sky were at all well-served in that department.
City have beaten Sheffield United 2-1; they top the table, the only side with three wins from three matches. Follow the reaction with Rob Smyth.
As for Liverpool, I’m excited to see how their new-look midfield takes shape. I’m not sure it’s recovered since Wijnaldum was replaced with Thiago as no longer could they run opponents off the pitch, forcing high turnovers and allowing their full-backs to playmake. Well, they’re back to fielding three young men now, three runners with quality, and Dominic Szoboszlai, in particular, has gamebreaking ability that Klopp’s brand of HR genius gives him a great chance of harnessing.
I’m properly looking forward to seeing how Newcastle go here. Even last season, they were a proposition, but what they have now are options. That’s a test for the manager, who has to pick the right players for the right games – already, we’re seeing Mikel Arteta struggling a little in a similar situation – but on the plus side, he can change a game from the bench and the competition for places looks ideal for a squad, many of whose members would never have expected to be challenging at the top of the table.
Elsewhere, Villa are 3-1 up at Burnley. Moussa Diaby, who looks a player, has scored again, while Matthew Matt Matty Cash has bagged a brace.
Jürgen Klopp, meanwhile, remains without Curtis Jones, Ibrahima Konaté and Thiago, while new signing Endo makes his first start, in for Diogo Jota.
Unsurprisingly, Newcastle are unchanged. They weren’t great at City last week, but that’s a very specific challenge and Howe’s current first XI well deserve another go.
And also going on:
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Before we wonder about what they mean, don’t forget to join Rob Smyth for the end of Sheffield United 0-1 Man City – if you haven’t already.
Teams!
Newcastle United (a non-negotiable 4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Isak, Gordon. Subs: Dubravka, Lascelles, Wilson, Targett, Barnes, Livramento, Anderson, Longstaff, Murphy.
Liverpool (a creaking 4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Matip, Robertson; Endo, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz. Subs: Kelleher, Gomez, Nunez, Elliott, Tsimikas, Doak, Bajcetic, Jota, Quansah.
Referee: John Brooks (Melton Mowbray)
Preamble
In a lifetime of football obsession, certain images stick in the mind. And for your correspondent, one such comes from an earlier rendition of this afternoon’s tussle, almost 25 years ago to the day, that to this day remains as mind-bogglingly nauseating as it did at the time.
Liverpool won the game – Ruud Gullit’s first as Newcastle manager – 4-1, but what sticks in the mind is the revoltingly competent hat-trick disbursed by Michael Owen, fresh off his France ’98 earth-shattering, inside its first 32 minutes. The third goal, in particular, is a sublime effort, a burst past Philippe Albert followed by a chip stabbed over the still-upright Shay Given’s shoulder … after which Owen ran along the by-line, goggled eyes in mock disbelief at his own magnificence, then in a performance of performative twee that singed souls from Tyneside to Tuvalu, joyfully rubbed hands at the sheer hilariously unfathomable ease of it all. He was 18.
Yes and I was 19, the first serious footballer who was younger than me making for a chastening afternoon – one of many suffered by Newcastle in this fixture, to complete a segue marginally less deft than Little Micky’s finishing. It’s 15 games, 11 defeats and nearly eight years since they last beat Liverpool and prior to then came various other beatings and batterings … but have things now changed?
Today is the first time in a long time that the home side arrive at this fixture as favourites to take the points, and it’s easy to see why. The provenance of Newcastle’s upturn is unignorable, but in that context – *that* context – Eddie Howe has done a terrific job, drilling a physically monstrous squad, embroidered with the extra quality of Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimarães . to become the Premier League’s least pleasant opponents. They are grooved, nasty, and absolutely ravenous.
Liverpool, meanwhile, remain something of a mess. Their attacking brilliance and options are such that that’ve a shot at winning any game, but their midfield is unsettled at best and suss at worst while, in defence, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson look past their peaks and Trent Alexander-Arnold will always be Trent. They do, though, know the significance of this encounter and how to prevail in one similar to it.
All of which means this is set up for a properly banging game of association football, both teams getting after it from the off. Here we go!
Kick-off: 4.30pm BST
