Goals from Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo and a brace from Mohamed Salah have been sufficient to safe Liverpool an important 4-2 win over Newcastle United.
The Reds have been completely dominant at Anfield on New Year’s Day, having 32 makes an attempt on aim and accumulating an xG over seven (the best in the league’s historical past). Had it not been for an in-form Martin Dubravka and an out-of-form Darwin Nunez, Liverpool might’ve thumped Newcastle.
The win sees Liverpool open up a three point lead atop of the Premier League desk, whereas Newcastle drop all the way down to ninth in the desk.
How the sport unfolded
Attacking towards the Kop finish in the primary half, Liverpool began the sport extraordinarily brightly, pinning Newcastle United again into their very own defensive third. That early stress would virtually culminate in a aim simply two minutes in, when a Trent Alexander-Arnold effort from outdoors the field spun narrowly huge of the foot of the left publish following a deflection.
Ten minutes later, Alexander-Arnold turned supplier in the ultimate third to create the house crew’s subsequent opening. The right-back fired a midfield-splitting move into the toes of Darwin Nunez who, after taking part in a fast one-two with Mohamed Salah, discovered himself via on aim on the best of the penalty space. The out-of-form striker – who has scored only one aim in since early November – was unable to beat Martin Dubravka together with his subsequent strike.
In the 18th minute, Liverpool deservedly had the ball in the again of the online, with Luis Diaz firing into the underside nook of the online. The aim was, sadly chalked off for a slim offside after a fairly prolonged VAR test.
Almost straight from the restart, Diaz was again in the motion in the field – successful a penalty for his facet after dancing previous Svan Botman. Up stepped Salah to take the ensuing spot kick and, very surprisingly, the celebrity ahead noticed his strike straight down the centre of the aim saved by Dubravka.
Despite being totally outplayed in the primary half, Newcastle handle to search out the again of the earlier than half-time. Dan Burn rose highest on the again publish following a fast counter assault to move residence, however the aim was dominated out for offside through a VAR test.
Seemingly angered by virtually seeing a aim be conceded from his defensive facet, Alexander-Arnold got here inside a whisker of scoring the aim of the season up to now in the forty first minute. The right-back volleyed the ball violently from a decent angle on the best flank over the top of Dubravka, and simply off the mistaken facet of the publish and away from hazard.
After huffing and puffing in the primary half, Liverpool lastly received their aim initially of the second. A sweeping transfer led by the Reds’ attacking trio culminated in Nunez squaring to Salah, who made no mistake together with his end – tapping into an empty web from eight yards out.
Moments later, Nunez would spurn to nice possibilities to double his facet’s lead – being denied by Dubravka on each events.
Nunez and Liverpool have been made to rue stated miss alternatives in the 53rd minute, when Alexander Isak stormed via on aim after latching onto a defence-splitting move. And with what appeared like his first two touches of the ball through the sport, Isak was capable of management earlier than delicately dinking over Alisson to make it 1-1.
A annoyed Klopp made a sea of modifications after conceding, rejigging his frontline by bringing on Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota on the hour mark. The former would miss a fantastic probability straight after coming off the bench, firing a volley straight into the mid-riff of Dubravka from point clean vary.
With their xG sitting at a fairly ridiculous 4, the Reds managed to get an all-important second aim with simply 20 minutes remaining. Another incisive attacking transfer led to Salah slipping the ball via to Diogo Jota on the best of the field, earlier than the substitute unselfishly squared to Curtis Jones who was capable of faucet into an empty web.
Soon after, it was 3-1. Gakpo was readily available to bundle residence the ball after Salah curled a pleasant cross with the skin of his foot into the hazard space.
Newcastle have been capable of bag one other comfort aim in the eightieth minute via Sven Botman. The centre-back rose highest from a set piece to nod residence the fifth aim of a frantic sport.
The goalscoring did not finish there both, with Dubravka clipping the heels of Jota in the field to provide Salah an opportunity to make it 4-2 – an opportunity that he was capable of take, slotting into the underside left nook of the online.
GK: Alisson Becker – 6/10 – He had nothing to besides decide the ball out of his web.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7/10 – Exceptional on the ball, spraying the ball round in a approach that no different full-back can do.
CB: Ibrahima Konate – 6/10 – He did not have an enormous quantity to do.
CB: Virgil van Dijk – 6/10 – Caught out in the lead up to Newcastle’s equaliser.
LB: Joe Gomez – 6/10 – He did not do a lot mistaken once more in his new position.
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai – 6/10 – Liverpool followers have been maybe anticipating him to be a bit simpler in the ultimate third than what he was.
CM: Wataru Endo – 7/10 – A battling outing towards bodily Newcastle midfield.
CM: Curtis Jones – 8/10 – Worked arduous in the center of the park and offered some high quality on the ball too.
RW: Mohamed Salah – 9/10 – Missed a penalty in the primary half, after which was totally unplayable in the second. He scored a brace and set up one other. Top class.
ST: Darwin Nunez – 5/10 – A reasonably disastrous outing in entrance of aim, lacking probability after probability, nonetheless he did contribute a tidy help to assist Salah open the scoring.
LW: Luis Diaz – 7/10 – Scored an offside aim in the primary half and was usually very vigorous in and out of possession all through.
Substitutes
SUB: Diogo Jota (63′ for Diaz) – 7/10 – Came on and made a distinction as soon as once more, setting up Liverpool’s second aim.
SUB: Cody Gakpo (63′ for Nunez) – 7/10 – The Dutch worldwide bagged Liverpool’s third aim. Surely he has to start out forward of Nunez subsequent week.
SUB: Ryan Gravenberch (63′ for Szoboszlai) – 6/10
SUB: Alexis Mac Allister (76′ for Endo) – N/A
Manager – Jurgen Klopp – 8/10 – His crew have been a pleasure to observe on Monday night. As fluid as they have been in a really very long time.
GK: Martin Dubravka – 8/10 – He made a silly quantity of saves. 10 to be actual – and one was a penalty. Stunning outing.
RB: Tino Livramento – 3/10 – Had his work minimize out for him up towards Diaz.
CB: Fabian Schar – 2/10 – He could not take care of Liverpool’s offensive prowess in any respect.
CB: Sven Botman – 3/10 – Gave away a penalty in the primary half and usually struggled up towards Nunez. Scored a late comfort aim.
LB: Dan Burn – 1/10 – It seemed like a mismatch towards Salah, and it was. He could not lay a glove on his reverse quantity.
CM: Lewis Miley – 4/10 – Struggled to maintain up with tempo of play from Liverpool.
CM: Bruino Guimaraes – 3/10 – A fairly clumsy outing from the Brazilian.
CM: Sean Longstaff – 4/10 – Cut a annoyed determine for a lot of the sport.
RW: Joelinton – 3/10 – Way too many foolish fouls, even by his requirements.
ST: Alexander Isak – 7/10 – Had one probability in the sport and he took it.
LW: Anthony Gordon – 6/10 – Set up Isak’s aim with a beautiful move, however seemed leggy in any other case.
Substitutes
SUB: Miguel Almiron (54′ for Miley) – 5/10
SUB: Jamal Lascelles (82′ for Burn) – N/A
SUB: Lewis Hall (82′ for Joelinton) – N/A
Manager – Eddie Howe – 3/10 – Injuries have not helped, however Howe’s crew appear to have fully misplaced their defensive form in latest weeks. They have been in all places at Anfield.
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