Coverage and free play highlights as Liverpool stage a stunning comeback to beat Newcastle; Darwin Nunez scores two late goals after Virgil van Dijk’s first-half red card; Anthony Gordon gave the hosts the lead after Trent Alexander-Arnold avoided a controversial early sending-off
The Magpies have not beaten Liverpool in the Premier League for nearly eight years and will surely see this as a missed opportunity to end that fruitless run as the visitors saw Van Dijk sent off for a first-half foul on Alexander Isak.
The Liverpool captain’s red card came just minutes after Anthony Gordon penalized Trent Alexander-Arnold for a foul to give the hosts the lead.
The Liverpool right-back avoided an early red card when referee Jon Brooks refused to show him a second yellow card for bringing down Gordon as he went past him. This prompted Gary Neville to tell Sky Sports that the decision was “too big”. on behalf of the official.
But Newcastle rested a one-goal lead in the second half and were punished by Nunez, who equalized in the 81st minute when he robbed Sven Botman before slotting the ball past Nick Pope.
Worse was to come for the shell-shocked hosts as Nunez again finished emphatically in stoppage time to give Jurgen Klopp a record 11th successive league win over Eddie Howe.
Liverpool
Newcastle may have finished above Liverpool last season, but the recent history of this fixture has pointed to an away win, with the Magpies’ last league win against the opposition coming in December 2015.
Klopp also won 10 consecutive Premier League wins under Howe and knew an 11th win would set a new Premier League record.
Newcastle would be forgiven for thinking luck would favor Liverpool in this match as Alexander-Arnold avoided a second yellow card when he tripped Gordon in the seventh minute as he broke down the wing.
The right-back had already been booked for kicking the ball away when Newcastle tried to throw on minutes earlier, although he should have been awarded a free-kick after pushing Gordon, a decision Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports. Absolutely incredible.”
But Alexander-Arnold continued to fight and his failure to control a pass in the 25th minute allowed Gordon – a former Everton striker – to slot past Alisson.
The St James’ Park crowd were expecting a rare victory over their top four rivals and were given a boost when Van Dijk, branded “lazy” by Carragher, made a clumsy challenge on Isak and Brooks found himself denied a goal-scoring opportunity. .
But Newcastle appeared to lower their intensity in the second half when Miguel Almiron’s effort came back off the post and Alisson pushed the Paraguayan’s shot over the bar in what was their only meaningful chance after the break.
Liverpool felt the points were still shared and Nunez, who scored to justify his £85m transfer fee since signing last summer, stepped in to create some of Klopp’s side’s best moments.
The forward caught Botman’s hesitation to score his first goal and Newcastle were unable to regain momentum and Nunez again gave too much space when he fired home a dramatic 93rd-minute winner.
Newcastle
Carragher said referee Brooks “stabbed himself in the back” when he cautioned Alexander-Arnold for throwing the ball away in the sixth minute, saying: “Trent deserves a yellow card.
– We know the rules, he throws the ball away, but the referee puts the bar on himself.
“How is Gordon’s shot not bad at all? How the referee doesn’t screw up there is absolutely unbelievable.
“I think that’s why he doesn’t give him another yellow a moment later.”
Neville criticized the official’s decision not to send Alexander-Arnold off, saying:
“The first booking is unnecessary. “We are still getting used to the new rules. He just throws it away, which is now a standard booking. He feels rough and gets pushed and the ball is thrown away.
“The second case is too big for him. He doesn’t want to make a decision. “Alexander-Arnold is lucky. He steps out to the left and puts a hand on Gordon. He knows one more thing and he did. I’m sure if he wasn’t on the yellow card he would have got it.
Alexander Isak
Neville believed Brooks made the right call to sack Van Dijk, saying: “I think he’s just going to beat the centre-forward.
“Van Dijk’s challenge was not to win the corner he came from. He just had to try to follow Isak’s run, but he tried to win it.
“He kicks his left foot. It’s so reckless from Van Dijk. He doesn’t have to commit to it.
“We’ve all been there. He just has to get off the field and take in the grass, as hard as it is.
“But this is Van Dijk, who a few years ago wouldn’t have made that challenge. He would have let Isak take a touch and take it away from him as he ran down the channel. “He pierces him. Isak passed him because Van Dijk is engaged.”
Carragher, however, disagreed that Van Dijk was not given a chance to score, saying: “Van Dijk does a lot of things wrong – he’s lazy and the challenge is poorly thought out, but I don’t think it’s a red card.
“How do you know it’s a goal chance?
