The Premier League is once again plagued by uncertainty, but Liverpool is enjoying a period of stability. Jürgen Klopp’s team stayed on top of Manchester City with their eighth consecutive win and 21st in 26 unbeaten league games at Anfield, as Liverpool became the first English club to win 2,000 Premier League games. Newcastle were a more tenacious and lively opponent than their league position indicated, and they took the lead early on thanks to Jonjo Shelvey’s goal.
But a controversial equaliser from Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah’s usual goal and a stunning late finish from Trent Alexander-Arnold delivered another important win and extended Liverpool’s goalscoring streak to a club record 32 consecutive matches. The last time Liverpool failed to score was in the Champions League exit to Real Madrid in April.
“Newcastle had a very defensive organisation and went 1-0 up, so it was the recipe for a very difficult game but we still won and it was absolutely deserved,” said Klopp. It was impossible to escape the parallels with Atlético Madrid’s visit here in March 2020, the last “mass gathering” in English football before the first lockdown, with Covid-19 an unsettling backdrop to events at Anfield once again.
Liverpool’s squad have all been vaccinated and had no cases to contend with, Klopp revealed on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, however, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones all returned suspected positive tests. The Liverpool manager explained: “Before we enter the training ground we do a lateral flow test and go back in the car and wait for the results. In this moment we had three positive tests. We waited for confirmation (from PCR tests) but for this game we couldn’t wait. We had to send the boys home. We will see how it now develops. This virus has been around us for so long that it is not likely it will stay at three.”
The late disruption to Klopp’s plans had no immediate impact on the Liverpool performance. Salah tormented Jamal Lewis from the off while Newcastle touched the ball only when clearing it. Hence the stunned silence around most of the stadium when the visitors took the lead the first time they ventured into Liverpool’s half.
A flowing break was instigated by Ryan Fraser, who released Allan Saint-Maximin and overlapped for a return ball after the striker easily held off Ibrahima Konaté. Fraser’s cross sailed behind its intended targets to Thiago Alcântara. The midfielder made a mess of his attempted clearance, slicing it into the path of Shelvey who had time to pick his spot and swept a fine finish inside the rooted Alisson’s right-hand post.
The breaks started to go against Eddie Howe’s team. Lewis pulled up with a hamstring injury, handing substitute Matt Ritchie the task of stifling Salah, and controversy surrounded Liverpool’s equaliser when Mike Dean allowed play to continue when Isaac Hayden went down with a head injury inside the penalty area. He collided with Fabian Schär and Konaté when his teammate cleared a Liverpool corner and remained on the ground as the ball was returned to Sadio Mané. He played Jota onside as Mané crossed to the far post, where the Portugal international’s header was well saved by Martin Dubravka but his rebound was drilled emphatically into the roof of the net.
Howe complained: “The turning point was an obvious one. I cannot understand how Mike has not stopped the game. Hayden was holding his head immediately. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. We feel we have been harshly treated today.” The Newcastle manager claimed Dean had told him he believed Hayden had gone down holding his back and the midfielder was dazed “for four or five minutes afterwards”. Yet he played on. Another Thiago error almost regifted Newcastle the lead, his careless crossfield ball giving Saint-Maximin the opportunity to break away from Konaté and draw a fine save from Alisson low to his right. There was no reprieve for Shelvey when he erred moments later. The former Liverpool midfielder blotted his night’s work with a terrible back pass that was pounced upon by the ever-alert Mané.
He attempted to prod an awkward shot past Dubravka and, though the keeper blocked with his legs, the rebound fell Liverpool’s way for a second time. Salah made no mistake with the loose ball, tucking his 22nd goal of the season inside the near post. With Callum Wilson rested on the bench and Joelinton part of a five-man midfield Saint-Maximin had an arduous task of leading the Newcastle line alone. He worked tirelessly to unsettle Liverpool’s defence and sent Jacob Murphy scurrying clear down the right to cross for Fraser who, closing in on Alisson’s goal, was denied by a perfectly executed tackle from Alexander-Arnold. Newcastle fans appealed for a penalty but the Liverpool defender swept the ball from under the winger’s toes.
Liverpool created few clear-cut chances after the interval but sealed victory in stunning style when a free-kick found its way to the feet of Alexander-Arnold 25 yards from goal. Anfield roared “Shoot” as the defender took aim. The advice was sound and an unstoppable bullet flew into the top corner.
