Newcastle stars rage at Liverpool let-off as ref offers ‘explanation’ to staff
Ciaran Kelly
8 – 10 minutes
A planned pre-match homage to Kevin Keegan may have been postponed, but this six-goal thriller against Liverpool was a fitting tribute. It said it all that, even after Fabian Schar scored an equaliser to make it 3-3 at the death, Newcastle United were not content with a point. The Magpies went for the jugular at St James’ Park – just like Keegan would have.
Ninety-five breathless minutes had been played when Nick Pope threw the ball out to Alexander Isak on the left as Newcastle looked to launch one final breakaway. However, with a promising three v three situation in the offing, referee Andy Madley blew up to a chorus of deafening boos.
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All five minutes of injury time had admittedly been played, but there had been a number of stoppages in added time, including a 70-second wait between Madley blowing for a foul and signalling for the free-kick to be taken. Hence Newcastle players’ anger as Schar, Sean Longstaff, Bruno Guimaraes and Dan Burn all pleaded their case at full-time. Pope was even booked for remonstrating before Madley offered a ‘simple explanation’ to frustrated staff.
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In truth, no one watching on will have wanted this one to end after Newcastle went toe-to-toe with the league leaders. Newcastle twice took the lead – Anthony Gordon made it 2-1 after Curtis Jones cancelled out Alexander Isak’s first-half thunderbolt – before a double from Liverpool star Mohamed Salah looked to have turned the game on its head.
‘We didn’t see a goal coming’ | Eddie Howe reacts to Newcastle’s Carabao Cup exit
‘We didn’t see a goal coming’ | Eddie Howe reacts to Newcastle’s Carabao Cup exit
No other side have recorded more comeback wins (11) against another opponent in the Premier League than Liverpool in this fixture. Was history about to repeat itself? Not this time. Newcastle rallied in the 90th minute to claim a point after Schar turned in Bruno’s free-kick. It was a deserved share of the spoils.
A Wor Flags banner had urged Newcastle to ‘get into them’ and that’s what the black-and-whites did from the off – pressing, harrying and forcing Liverpool into uncharacteristic errors. Arne Slot was the first to admit that Liverpool had ‘a lot of problems with their intensity’. How often do you hear that?
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To think this was the same Newcastle side who only picked up a point against Crystal Palace and West Ham and mustered just two shots on target combined in those games. You would not have known it.
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New Netherlands Visa for Up to 5 Years
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Netherlands Introduces a New Visa for Up to 5 Years
Netherlands Introduces a New Visa for Up to 5 Years
Netherlands Introduces a New Visa for Up to 5 Years
Netherlands Introduces a New Visa for Up to 5 Years
There lies the challenge for Newcastle ahead of a trip to high-flying Brentford on Saturday. Newcastle have defeated Arsenal and Spurs; knocked Chelsea out of the Carabao Cup; and claimed a well-earned point against both Liverpool and Manchester City. However, Newcastle have also picked up just three measly points from games versus Bournemouth, Fulham, Everton, Brighton, West Ham and Crystal Palace this season.
Eddie Howe and Fabian Schar
Eddie Howe and Fabian Schar
No wonder Jacob Murphy admitted ‘we can’t just keep getting up for the big teams’ while Schar called on those around him to ‘perform like this week in, week out’. They simply have to. That’s what Howe has long demanded.
“The atmosphere, the occasion, the players knew they had to lift themselves to compete with Liverpool,” the Newcastle boss said. “My frustration and the players’ frustration is that we want to be delivering that regardless of who we play or where we play.
“The feel of the team and the energy of the team should be the same regardless. Now that’s all easy to say – it’s difficult to deliver – but that’s the challenge we have set the players. Today we showed what we could be.”
Newcastle certainly did. With and without the ball. Alexis Mac Allister may have struck the post with a shot from the edge of the area, but Newcastle limited the league leaders to just one effort on target in the first half.
It was the aggressive hosts who looked the more threatening side early on and the Magpies struck the woodwork, themselves, midway through the first half courtesy of that aforementioned press. Gordon dispossessed Mohamed Salah in Liverpool’s own half and the ball fell to Isak. The Newcastle striker turned away from two red shirts and clipped the ball out to Murphy on the right. Murphy took a touch before letting fly with a fierce effort that struck the post.
The noise levels rose inside the stadium and Newcastle were soon in front. Bruno skipped away from Mac Allister and slipped the ball to Isak, who was 25 yards from goal. Isak sidestepped Virgil van Dijk and unleashed a 70mph rocket that only had one destination: the back of the net.
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his team’s first goal
Newcastle’s tails were up and the Magpies had a glorious chance to go into the break 2-0 up when Jarell Quansah failed to deal with Isak’s lofted ball and Gordon pounced. Gordon raced through, but the forward’s tame effort was straight at Caoimhin Kelleher before he took one to the face from van Dijk.
Liverpool would make Newcastle pay for that miss after the break. There were 49 minutes on the clock when Mac Allister’s searching ball found Salah out on the right and the Liverpool star laid it off for Jones with a superb pass with the outside of his boot. Jones did the rest and lashed the ball into the net to level it up.
The pendulum swung Liverpool’s way – Darwin Nunez, somehow, failed to put the visitors in front a few minutes later after failing to get a boot to Cody Gakpo’s header across goal – but Newcastle fought back. Isak turned provider and threaded the ball through to Gordon in the box. The forward cut inside Gomez and, this time, Kelleher could not keep out the England international’s shot.
Newcastle were not ahead for long, though. Not in a madcap game like this. Not when Liverpool had the luxury of being able to introduce quality substitutes like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai and Luis Diaz in one full swoop.
Mohamed Salah draws Liverpool level against Newcastle United
Mohamed Salah draws Liverpool level against Newcastle United
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It did not take Alexander-Arnold long to make an impact, cutting the ball across the box at the second time of asking, and there was Salah to slot home first-time. The Liverpool star, a thorn in Newcastle’s side for so many years, was not finished yet.
It was end-to-end stuff. Just a few minutes after Isak had a penalty appeal waved away, Alexander-Arnold again pulled the ball across and, this time, Salah fired past Pope on the turn. St James’ was stunned into silence.
However, like so many of these clashes down through the years, there was still time for yet another dramatic twist late on. Bruno launched a free-kick into the box, Kelleher failed to claim and the outstretched Schar, somehow, guided the ball into the net from a tight angle. What is it about this fixture and late drama?
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