The rain did not stop falling at Anfield as Liverpool and Newcastle engaged in a wild game that resulted in Eddie Howe facing the unfortunate possibility of losing his job in January.
Jürgen Klopp’s team dominated with a score of 4-2, but it could have been even more lopsided at 8-2. The loss was a disappointment for Howe, as Newcastle has only won one out of their last eight games. In other words, the football project backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has suffered seven defeats in the past eight games, and their upcoming three matches before February look just as challenging as their visit to Anfield.
On Saturday, there will be a 30-minute drive to Sunderland for the FA Cup third round, followed by upcoming league matches against Manchester City (at home) and Aston Villa (away). If Newcastle, who were previously eliminated from a competition, were to lose to their biggest rivals at their home stadium, it would cause concern among the executives at Howe’s employers.
Descend or sketch downward when the champions arrive in the city (January 13) and at Villa (January 30), as they are currently trailing Liverpool by three points following this win. Howe would then be facing a record of only one victory in 11 matches.
This is not the form of an upwardly mobile team owned by a nation state whose wish is to burnish their global reputation by transforming Newcastle into a continental heavyweight. At the break Howe and his men could still dream of beginning 2024 with the right result, but this was only because Liverpool produced a curate’s egg of a first half.
Their performance showed almost complete control, but they struggled to make the most of it by not scoring more goals. The telling fact was that Klopp’s team had 18 shots but failed to score, their highest count in eight years for a first half without a goal.
During an intense period of play, Luis Díaz and Dan Burn had goals disallowed for being offside, Mohamed Salah’s penalty was saved, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s attempt at a follow-up was poorly executed, and he later hit the bar from a difficult angle near the sideline. Newcastle’s back-up goalkeeper also made three important saves, including shots from Díaz and Darwin Núñez (twice).
Newcastle’s last victory at this location was in 1994, when Andy Cole and Rob Lee scored in a 2-0 win in April. This occurred two years prior to Kevin Keegan’s well-known outburst in the 1995-96 season, the last time Newcastle were strong contenders. There was optimism that this 28-year interval could be closed this season: although the team in their striped jerseys may not claim a fifth league title for their club, they would present a respectable challenge that would carry into the final weeks of the competition.
However, the current topic of discussion is Howe’s role as the Newcastle No. 1 and how much longer he may have it. Similar to Erik ten Hag, he exceeded expectations last season by placing Newcastle in fourth place and reaching the Carabao Cup final. However, unlike Manchester United’s manager, Howe does not have the added accomplishment of a trophy on his resume. His team lost to ten Hag’s team in the Wembley final and finished one spot lower and with four fewer points in the Premier League.
Before this game, Howe’s attitude seemed strange. Why would he remind his players that playing at Liverpool’s intense stadium is not an easy task if they want to succeed? He implied that the reason for this difficulty was due to missing players, but as the world’s wealthiest club, there is likely limited sympathy for their injury list, which now includes Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson unable to travel.
This raised the number of unavailable players to ten, but Howe was still able to field a team that included Alexander Isak as a forward (filling in for Wilson, who scored the equalizer) and the impressive Tino Livramento at right-back (in place of Trippier).
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In just four minutes, Liverpool had a pass count of 28-2 and it took nearly seven minutes for Newcastle to gain possession in Liverpool’s territory. Klopp’s team was a dominant force, both on and off the ball, highlighted by the skills of Alexander-Arnold and Salah.
With the exception of a penalty save at the 22-minute mark and a missed follow-up by the same player at close range, the energetic Díaz successfully took the spot-kick soon after having a goal disallowed (by VAR) due to Núñez’s offside.
Liverpool were dominating their opponent, displaying the confidence and superiority of a club that has won 19 titles compared to their visitor’s four. The last time their visitor won a title was in 1927. Salah, who switched his shoes during half-time, was playing in his final match before joining Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations. With his new shoes, he scored the first goal on 49 minutes and redeemed himself from a previous missed penalty by scoring his second goal towards the end of the game.
Jones and Gakpo’s goals bookended Isak’s, giving Liverpool a 3-1 lead, while Botman scored Newcastle’s second. At the end of the game, Salah had a total of 151 Premier League goals and a soaked Howe commented: “I can see hope if my players keep giving their best.”
However, they must deliver victories at a fast pace.
Source: theguardian.com
