Newcastle 2-3 Liverpool: The Reds scored twice in injury time to beat the Magpies in a dramatic Premier League clash at St James’ Park on Wednesday night
Rio Ngumoha emerged from the bench to net a 100th-minute winner as Liverpool pulled off a dramatic victory over 10-man Newcastle at St James’ Park.
The ongoing Alexander Isak transfer saga added an extra layer of tension to the clash at St James’ Park, which certainly didn’t disappoint in terms of intensity. Ngumoha outshone Will Osula with his supersub performance.
Newcastle had the upper hand in the first 30 minutes but failed to capitalise as Gordon squandered three chances. Against the run of play, they found themselves trailing after Ryan Gravenberch’s shot from the edge of the box took a deflection off Fabian Schar and found the back of the net.
Gordon’s day went from bad to worse when he lunged at Virgil van Dijk, catching his calf with his studs. Following a VAR review, referee Simon Hooper upgraded his yellow card to a red, leaving Newcastle with a mountain to climb.
Their task became even more daunting when Hugo Ekitike found the bottom corner just after half-time to double Liverpool’s lead. Bruno Guimaraes capitalised on some lax defending by Milos Kerkez to head home and reduce the deficit, reports the Mirror.
Despite their efforts, it seemed like Newcastle’s comeback was falling short until Osula connected with a Dan Burn flick-on to beat Alisson at the near post. However, Liverpool had the last laugh as Ngumoha slotted home Mohamed Salah’s low cross to secure all three points for the Reds.
Isak message
He wasn’t even on the pitch. He wasn’t even named in the Newcastle squad.
Yet he still commanded the spotlight around this fixture. Alexander Isak has spent the last month attempting to engineer a move away from the Magpies to their rivals.
Thus far his efforts have proved fruitless, but the timing of this match created a fascinating subplot – and certainly heightened the tension and drama on the field.
Following his claims that his employers had reneged on pledges, a banner amongst the crowd declared: “Nothing is achieved alone. We are a city. A whole population. We are Newcastle United.”
The supporters’ stance was unmistakable and, ultimately, Osula embodied that spirit.
Gordon’s torrid evening
Gordon received glowing words from Howe ahead of kick-off, having deputised as a striker in the season opener. However, he suffered a thoroughly wretched evening against Liverpool, with his eagerness to shine overwhelming his composure.
He squandered three promising opportunities in rapid succession – nodding wide from Harvey Barnes’ delivery, failing to connect with Anthony Elanga’s centre and botching a third chance – before receiving his marching orders.
Gordon seemed overwhelmed by the magnitude of the occasion. He looked frantic to win over the faithful and pursued Van Dijk as the defender hoofed the ball upfield, catching the Dutchman’s shin with his studs.
“He gets carried away with what’s been happening,” observed Thierry Henry on Sky Sports. He was fortunate that his teammates rescued him.
Ekitike twists the knife
What do Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Benjamin Sesko and Ekitike have in common?
They all turned down Newcastle to sign for rival Premier League clubs this summer. Without a sporting director or chief executive, Newcastle’s performance in the transfer window has been lacklustre, a fact underscored by Ekitike’s performance at St James’ Park.
The French striker had only been on the pitch for 20 seconds in the second half when he side-footed the ball into the net from the edge of the box, making it 2-0. Liverpool manager Arne Slot hadn’t even emerged from the tunnel yet.
Ekitike has now scored in each of his first three starts for Liverpool, including in the Community Shield and the 4-2 victory over Bournemouth on the season’s opening day.
Ekitike’s strong start has been vital for Liverpool, who sold Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz and tragically lost Diogo Jota. The club is still looking to sign another striker before the transfer window closes, but if they fail to secure Alexander Isak, the former Eintracht Frankfurt forward will help cushion the blow.
On the right track?
When the team sheets were released, one question stood out: who would be playing right-back for Liverpool?
With Jeremie Frimpong injured and Conor Bradley on the bench, Arne Slot decided to put Dominik Szoboszlai in the position, allowing Curtis Jones to stay in his preferred midfield role.
Szoboszlai made some key contributions in the first half, beating Gordon to the ball when it was whipped across the six-yard box. His effort and determination were notable for Liverpool.
However, Kerkez, a specialist left-back who joined from Bournemouth for £40m this summer, had a difficult game and was responsible for Guimaraes’ header.
The Hungarian international failed to jump, turned his back and allowed the Newcastle captain an unchallenged leap at Tino Livramento’s cross to the far post. He has seemed overwhelmed in Liverpool’s early season matches, and Slot may consider starting Andy Robertson in the upcoming weeks.
Ngumoha rescues Liverpool
Salah was largely absent for Liverpool. They barely threatened Nick Pope’s goal after Ekitike’s 46th-minute strike.
Their record signing Florian Wirtz had little influence on the match. Despite this, they still managed to score three times away from home in a challenging stadium.
Slot’s team once again appeared shaky at the back, and eventually, the pressure took its toll. With their fans cheering them on, Newcastle didn’t seem like a side playing with only 10 men.
They pinned Liverpool back and bombarded their box, with Livramento’s long throw-ins creating a siege-like atmosphere.
Ultimately, it was a straightforward long free-kick from Pope, nudged on by Burn, that caused havoc. Osula took a chance, beat Gravenberch to the ball and nudged it past the advancing Alisson.
Yet, against all odds, they pulled it off, with Ngumoha maintaining his composure to slot it into the corner following a dummy from Szoboszlai.
#Teen #Rio #Ngumoha #wins #bitter #Liverpool #Newcastle #clash #Reds #Isak #message
