The crazy chaos of the Premier League! But the Reds grab all 3 points
Newcastle United 0 Liverpool 2, 18th February 2023.
Newcastle United 0 Liverpool 2, 18th February 2023.
NEWCASTLE UNITED 0
LIVERPOOL 2 (Nunez 10, Gakpo 17)
If you missed this evening’s Premier League encounter at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park you could be forgiven for seeing the score line above and believing that the visiting Reds of Liverpool scored two relatively early goals, kept a rare (in recent times) defensive clean sheet and collected the 3 precious Premier League points on offer with relative ease. You would be wrong of course but no matter, you didn’t see the game and you will of course be forgiven. In time. What you missed was a fantastic display from the home team’s number 10 Allan Saint-Maximin who’s darting, energetic forward runs wreaked havoc all evening in and around a shaky Liverpool defence and had they been as clinical as their visiting counterparts, the home team “Magpies” could easily have rearranged the final score line in their favour.
Before and after the Reds two quick fire, brilliantly constructed and clinically finished goals, the black and white stripes of Newcastle United arguably dominated in an at times frenzied game of high pressing, attacking football that saw Saint-Maximim set Miguel Almiron free on 4 minutes, forcing the first brilliant, smothering save of the evening from the Reds Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker, before the Frenchman himself forced a tip over save from the Brazilian shot stopper on 31 minutes that grazed the top of his crossbar before going out for a corner. 10 minutes later, a Kieran Trippier corner was thumped against the Reds crossbar via a brilliant header from Dan Burn and this became a running theme as the game entered the second half and two further corners from Trippier caused chaos in a static Liverpool defence, with the best chance falling to Fabian Schar on 55 minutes who headed wide when he could and should have reduced the 2–0 deficit. 4 minutes earlier, Saint-Maximim weaved his magic once more to set up a very good goal scoring chance for Alexander Isak but the Swedish international spurned a glorious chance and with 8 minutes still remaining and Newcastle tiring but still competitive and still in the game, Alisson Becker was yet again forced into a smothering, sprawling save to deny Callum Wilson when a fitter, sharper and match ready England forward would surely have scored.
On another day, Newcastle United could have reversed the score-line in their favour to equate the arguable dominance they held over the game.
Oh, and did I mention that the home team played for 70 minutes with only 10 men after their goalkeeper Nick Pope was red carded for a chaotic charge out of his penalty area?
But this wasn’t another day, this was this evening and the team who was largely outplayed, looked dicey and at odds defensively all evening and who had to call upon the greatest goalkeeper in the world to protect their early 2–0 lead against 10 men eventually, eventually, ran out comfortable winners and without playing entirely well have climbed from mid-table to 8th in the Premier League and with the returns from injury of Virgil van Dijk, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota, there are real positive green shoots of recovery around the fields of Anfield Road.
With the 10 man hosts tiring and a quadruple substitution from Reds manager Jurgen Klopp on 58 minutes, Liverpool finally began to take control of a game I spent the entirety of shouting at my footballing heroes to pass to a red shirt, spread the play wide, wing to wing and to simply keep the ball moving, pass and move, and tire out a Newcastle team that gave their all to demonstrate once more the huge strides taken under manager Eddie Howe.
Aside from the two gloriously taken goals, it’s arguable that Liverpool rarely looked a further goal threat until Darwin Nunez forced a fine save from substitute goalkeeper Martin Dubravka on 57 minutes but as the hosts tired Diogo Jota could arguably have grabbed a substitute's hat-trick and with Andy Robertson continuing to motor forward into the spaces left by a tired and bedraggled Newcastle, Mo Salah and Harvey Elliott both forced easy saves from the substitute goalkeeper.
The goals themselves were absolute gems. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s pinpoint through ball that completely undressed the Newcastle defence on 10 minutes was glorious enough, let alone Darwin Nunez’s first touch before he drilled home an emphatic opening goal and if that wasn’t impressive enough, an even better goal followed 7 minutes later. From Alisson Becker’s throw-out to Stefan Bajcetic, the 18 year old glided away from trouble in the centre of the field before releasing eventual goal scorer Cody Gakpo on the left wing. The Dutchman’s inside pass to Fabinho was simple enough but he continued his run forward perfectly to meet the instant pass now received from Mo Salah and a dozen or so seconds, back to front, incisive, direct and probing passes later, Gakpo slid home his second goal in consecutive games. It was sublime stuff, and the road was paved for 3 precious Premier League points.
The major positives from this evening come in the shape of a “Man of the Match” performance from Alisson Becker, the return of the big man Virgil van Dijk and another performance from Andy Robertson that ensures his deputy Kostas Tsimikas doesn’t have a sniff of a starting XI place. Similarly Stefan Bajcetic continues to banish the prospect of Naby Keita starting a game any time soon, Fabinho looks a little like his old self, Mo Salah too, Darwin Nunez scored a clinical goal and Cody Gakpo now has 2 in 2 games and the team, with returnees from injury Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota, 2 consecutive Premier League wins on the bounce.
Real Madrid are up next on Tuesday in the European Cup and after two wins in a row and under the floodlights of Anfield for another of those European nights, the European Cup holders may have even more than they’ve already bargained for.
“Allez! Allez! Allez!”
Afterword — The Boss
“I think we knew, especially now, how intense the start of Newcastle is, how they want to start the game, especially at home. You have to be ready for that. It was a bit wild and stuff like this, but in the moment we controlled it we scored incredible goals”.
“I loved the goals, the way we moved there, not offside, patient enough. The vision from the passes. Trent, top pass, super control from Darwin — a super goal. Then the second goal, real good link-up play and then the chip from Mo for Cody… top goals, honestly”.
On Alisson Becker’s performance…
“He’s the goalie he is and we love having him. He had a very helpful performance today, absolutely”.
Thanks for reading. There is a wealth of past and present articles on Liverpool FC within my archival lists here or alternatively, here are my three most recently published articles from this season:
Derby delight for Liverpool as the Reds drop the Blues
Liverpool 2 Everton 0, 13th February 2023.medium.com
Hungry Wolves devour a defenceless Reds
Wolves 3 Liverpool 0, 4th February 2023.medium.com
Holders out as the Sword of Damocles edges nearer for an unlucky Liverpool
Brighton 2 Liverpool 1, 29th January 2023.medium.com