Andy Hunter was at Anfield tonight, and his report is here for your edification. Click away, good friends. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!
Klopp’s turn to chat with BT. “We used more Bournemouth than Newcastle to analyse. They made life hard for us. It was not like we had 15 clear-cut chances, but scored really good goals so I am really pleased in that moment of the year when you have to get through these games.” As for Trent’s goal? “What a stunner, what a great goal, his shooting technique is different level. Thank god Mike Dean is good on his legs! Great goal.” And the Jota equaliser? “I didn’t see it back. I don’t say it was in this situation, but quite frequently players go down in the box when they lose a challenge. The assistant told me all good, the two players ran into each other.”
Eddie Howe talks to BT Sport, and he’s not happy with referee Mike Dean. “I was really pleased with the effort and commitment. I’m really disappointed with Liverpool’s first goal. It was clear to me that Isaac went down holding his head immediately, and in my opinion the game should have been stopped. It had a huge bearing on the game, because we had the lead and scoring the goal suited the way we had set up to play. But as soon as they scored, the crowd were in the game and it feels unjust. The referee said he felt Isaac had held his back, but he held his head immediately.”
Trent speaks to BT. “We limited them to little chances. We dominated possession, but they made it hard for us. It was always going to be a difficult one, and them scoring an early goal made it harder. Disappointed with the clean sheet, but three points at this stage of the season is always important. I’ve been waiting to score a goal like that for five years now! I caught that one sweet, and it put the game to bed.” As for the controversial equaliser? “When you’re playing, you’re not looking around the box, you’re looking for your team-mates, you’re not focused on the ground. But if it’s a head injury, it’s down to the referee to stop it. At the end of the day he hasn’t done that, we’ve played to the whistle and scored. We haven’t cheated the game, or done anything unsportsmanlike, we played to the whistle and scored from it.”
Liverpool deserve the win, though Newcastle made them work hard for the three points, and the home team’s equaliser had the faint whiff of controversy about it. Liverpool close the gap at the top on Manchester City, and increase their lead over Chelsea, who were held at home this evening by Everton.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Man City | 17 | 31 | 41 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 17 | 35 | 40 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 17 | 27 | 37 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 17 | 1 | 29 |
| 5 | West Ham | 17 | 7 | 28 |
Newcastle meanwhile stay in the relegation places, three points shy of safety, having played more games than both Watford and Burnley. A big January transfer window ahead for them, like that’s some sort of breaking news.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Leeds | 17 | -15 | 16 |
| 17 | Watford | 16 | -10 | 13 |
| 18 | Burnley | 15 | -7 | 11 |
| 19 | Newcastle | 17 | -19 | 10 |
| 20 | Norwich | 17 | -26 | 10 |
FULL TIME: Liverpool 3-1 Newcastle United
Trent Alexander-Arnold, take a bow, son.
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90 min +3: “Can we talk about Mike Dean running across the ball and the goalkeeper’s view for that goal?” asks Jacob Osborne. “Remarkable. Peak Mike Dean.”
90 min +2: Milner shapes to take a speculative shot, as ordered by the Kop. Everyone’s frustrated as the unwitting Henderson accidentally gets in the way.
90 min +1: The first of four added minutes passes by without drama.
90 min: Anfield was beginning to get a little nervous back there, memories of Joe Willock’s late, late equaliser here in April still fresh in the memory. The roar that greeted Alexander-Arnold’s thunderstrike was partly fuelled by relief.
89 min: Thiago makes way for Milner, formerly of the Toon.
GOAL! Liverpool 3-1 Newcastle United (Alexander-Arnold 87)
What a goal this is! Alexander-Arnold takes a touch down the inside-left channel and launches a rising heatseeker towards the top left from 25 yards. Dubravka gets a finger to it, but there’s no stopping the sweetest of strikes. De Bruyne-esque, if anyone was watching the Manchester City v Leeds game the other night. A proper net-ripper!
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86 min: A free kick on the halfway line for Newcastle. Schar spots Alisson off his line and attempts a long-distance humiliation. Easy for Alisson. On comes Willock for Fraser.
85 min: Keita latches onto a loose ball, 30 yards out, and sends a first-time floater towards the top left. Dubravka claims spectacularly.
84 min: Mane takes a lash at the ball on the edge of the D and connects only with fresh air. Top-quality slapstick.
83 min: Everton have held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. “The first miracle of the Christmas season has occurred,” reports Mary Waltz. “Santa Red-jumpered Jordan Pickford was amazing.”
81 min: Schar’s mistake allows Mane to break into the box down the left. Dubravka denies him. Liverpool come back at Newcastle. Firmino wriggles into space on the right and slips into the box for Jota, whose close-range blooter is heroically blocked by Hayden! The sort of resolute defence that will serve Newcastle well going forward. Will it bear fruit today?
80 min: Liverpool are getting careless, and the crowd are getting agitated.
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79 min: The corner’s shuttled back to Keita, who shanks an awful shot miles wide right from distance.
78 min: Henderson floats a pass down the left for Robertson. Manquillo heads behind for a corner, allowing Saint-Maximin, who has been limping around for a few minutes, to be replaced by Wilson.
76 min: Liverpool probe, but Newcastle have been made of sterner stuff in this second period. No way through.
74 min: Liverpool make a double change. Keita and Firmino replace Oxlade-Chamberlain and Salah. Firmino’s quickly into the heat of the action, unwittingly shinning the ball wide in a crowded box from a corner.
72 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain meets a bouncing ball just to the right of the Newcastle goal. He sends it to the near post, Salah stabbing at it unconvincingly. A strange slow-motion exchange that Liverpool’s heart, oddly, wasn’t really in. That was more dangerous than they made it look. Dubravka claims.
71 min: Shelvey whips the free kick towards the top left. Alisson dives across desperately. The ball flies inches wide of the post. The keeper probably had it covered, but only just. He delivers his defenders the mother of all rollockings, the wall not set up to his liking.
70 min: Fraser bombs towards the Liverpool box and is clipped from behind by Henderson. Always a booking. A free kick in a very dangerous position, too, just to the left of the D.
68 min: Saint-Maximin does his best Jim Baxter impression, juggling the ball along the right touchline. He’s going the wrong way, though, and is eventually robbed by Mane and Jota, who race off with the ball at full pelt. He goes over, and wins a very soft free kick that gets him out of a lot of trouble. Newcastle would otherwise have been seriously exposed. “Shockingly a football match has broken out in the Chelsea- Everton fixture,” confirms Mary Waltz. “Chelsea scored and I prepared myself for another Everton loss.But on their first shot on target they equalised. Amazing.”
66 min: Saint-Maximin is good to continue, although he’s moving around rather gingerly at the moment.
65 min: VAR has a good look at the challenge nonetheless, gifted some time as Saint-Maximin is down, having been accidentally clipped on the shin by Konate. But it confirms what we knew already: the tackle was perfectly timed. It had to be, because otherwise it would have been a penalty and a red card.
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63 min: Saint-Maximin rolls a glorious pass down the right for Murphy, who swings a low cross in first time for Fraser. The Newcastle man shapes to shoot, but Alexander-Arnold makes a sensational last-ditch sliding tackle to poke the ball away from Murphy. That’s an outstanding tackle, and though Newcastle claim for a spot kick, Murphy incensed, replays show Alexander-Arnold clearly got the ball. Great play all round.
62 min: Everton have equalised at Stamford Bridge, 19-year-old Jarrad Branthwaite scoring his first Premier League goal for the club on 74 minutes.
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61 min: Liverpool make some attempts to raise their tempo, snapping into a couple of tackles, closing any spaces down with increased vigour.
59 min: Salah skies an ambitious effort high into the night sky. Newcastle have looked much more solid since the restart, keeping the hosts at arm’s length.
58 min: Mason Mount has given Chelsea the lead against Everton at Stamford Bridge. That was a 7.45pm kick-off, so there are only about 20 minutes left for Everton to do themselves (and their local rivals) a favour.
57 min: Newcastle are still in this, of course, and they remind their hosts of that, Murphy drifting in from the right and sending a low curler across Alisson and inches wide of the bottom left. That’s a fine effort.
56 min: ... though they nearly score from the resulting free kick, which is met by Mane at the left-hand post. Mane heads across the face of goal, but with Jota waiting to tap home, Dubravka extends fully to claim. Fine keeping.
55 min: Oxlade-Chamberlain drives down the middle of the park and is clipped from behind by Fraser, who is happy to take the booking with two Liverpool players free on the left. That would have been dangerous had Oxlade-Chamberlain released the ball earlier.
54 min: Liverpool stroke it around patiently, but Newcastle hold their shape. A war of attrition at the minute.
52 min: Konate goes down clutching his knee, a worrying sign for Liverpool. But he’s soon up and running again, having only jarred it when landing awkwardly.
51 min: Saint-Maximin runs at Matip and Konate. For a second, it looks as though Liverpool’s centre backs are going to get in each other’s way, but Konate takes charge and wins the duel this time.
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49 min: Nothing comes of the resulting corner. Klopp, clearly not happy with his team, gives Alexander-Arnold the what-for.
48 min: Alexander-Arnold slips a pass down the inside-right channel for Oxlade-Chamberlain, who nearly spins Lascelles. The defender shoves his opponent over, but the referee isn’t interested in giving the penalty. You’ve seen them awarded, but that’s one of those you can argue either way, and VAR is therefore never going to overturn whatever the on-field decision is.
47 min: Manquillo probes down the right and lays off to Murphy, who floats a harmless cross into the arms of Alisson.
46 min: A scrappy start to the second half. Plenty of loose passes, both keepers taking turns to blooter the ball upfield aimlessly.
Liverpool get the second half underway. They’re kicking towards the Kop now, just as they prefer it. No changes by either side.
Half-time entertainment. Get your retro kicks here.
HALF TIME: Liverpool 2-1 Newcastle United
The right scoreline on balance of play, though Newcastle are aggrieved at the manner of Liverpool’s equaliser, scored when Hayden was down in the six-yard box, the referee having waved play on. Lascelles makes his case to the referee, who isn’t having any of it. Should be a feisty second 45!
45 min +2: Saint-Maximin crosses low from the right. Murphy goes over in the box. Newcastle want a penalty, but Konate had stuck out a boot and connected with ball, not man. Salah tries to break, and Joelinton is booked for bringing him down.
45 min: Matip wins a header in a crowded Newcastle box. For a second, it looks like taking an absurd loop high into the air and back down into the top-right corner, but Dubravka tracks back and claims well.
44 min: Saint-Maximin has another run at Konate, who does well to slow him down a little, allowing defensive reinforcements to arrive. Saint-Maximin can’t get a shot away and is eventually crowded out. Konate cops a bollocking from Klopp anyway, on account of having given the ball away earlier in the move with an ambitious forward pass.
42 min: Liverpool turn it up a notch again. Thiago shovels a pass down the right and nearly finds Salah in the box. Uncharacteristically overhit. Goal kick.
40 min: Salah drives at Joelinton down the right. The big striker does well as the last man of defence, getting in the road and purchasing a cheap free kick. Newcastle have taken a little of the sting out of this in the last couple of minutes.
38 min: Henderson is on the receiving end of plenty of pantomime booing, incidentally, his Sunderland background never to be forgotten by the denizens of the away end. Petty rivalry, it’s what football is all about.
36 min: Another corner for Liverpool, Salah causing all sorts of problems out on the right. Alexander-Arnold takes ... but for once his delivery is no good. Newcastle breathe a little sigh of relief, but this is relentless.
35 min: It should be three. Oxlade-Chamberlain volleys a pass down the middle for Salah, who gets ahead of Ritchie and steers a shot inches wide of the bottom left, with only Dubravka to beat. He reacts with a smile, but there’s a little frost around the teeth. A big opportunity spurned.
34 min: Konate creams a pass wide right for Salah, who hits a wonderful first-time cross with the outside of his left foot. With Mane lurking, Schar does extremely well to extend a telescopic leg and divert the dangerous ball out for a corner. From the set piece, Oxlade-Chamberlain blazes wildly over.
32 min: Liverpool ping it around in a pretty style. Suddenly, Henderson cushions a header towards Jota, who screeches a first-time volley over the bar from the edge of the D. That’s a very decent effort.
30 min: Probably also worth saying that Eddie Howe was far from happy about the first goal. He seemed more unhappy with the referee’s decision not to stop the match, rather than Liverpool’s failure to roll the ball out of play, if his railing at the fourth official is anything to go by. But we’ll hear more about that after the game, I guess.
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28 min: Thiago sends a dipping cross in from the left. Jota tries to flick it goalwards but the effort is blocked. Newcastle are suddenly hanging on a bit here.
26 min: Hayden was back on immediately after the first goal, by the way. Meanwhile, Dick in Mississippi responds to Peter Oh’s McCartneyesque stylings: “Nah. As a Toon fan: Get Back Jonjo, get back to where you once belonged.”
GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Newcastle United (Salah 25)
Shelvey goes from hero to zero. A blind backpass releases Mane, who could go down having been clipped on the ankle by Schar, but aims a prod towards the bottom right instead. Dubravka parries again, and once more the luck isn’t with him, as the ball drops to Salah, who smashes home.
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23 min: Newcastle nearly regain the lead in short order! A loose pass is leapt upon by Newcastle, who drives at Konate and takes a shot from the edge of the D. It’s parried well by Alisson. This game is wide open and great fun.
22 min: Hayden was the man who stayed down, having collided with Schar, who got back up to defend Mane’s cross. There were only a couple of seconds between collision and goal, which may or may not have had a bearing on events all round. No doubt there will be opinions on the internet.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Newcastle United (Jota 21)
A controversial one, this. Henderson’s shot is deflected wide left for a corner. Newcastle half clear. A couple of Toon defenders go down. The referee waves play on. Mane crosses back in from the right. Jota’s header from close range is parried by Dubravka, a brilliant reaction save. But the ball drops back at the feet of Jota, who roofs from a couple of yards. Play to the whistle, huh.
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19 min: Jota bursts past the lunging Schar and enters the box down the inside-left channel. He lashes into the side netting. Liverpool have responded well, without worrying Dubravka too much as of yet.
18 min: Thiago tees up Henderson for a shot from the edge of the box, but the Liverpool captain tries to release Salah with a chip down the right channel instead. Bad choice. Goal kick. Meanwhile here’s Peter Oh: “I realise that Shelvey wants to impress against his former employers but now that he has scored could he please do like the title of the Beatles documentary and get back? Get back, Jonjo!”
16 min: Henderson launches long to release Salah down the right. Salah wins a corner while looking for Mane. Alexander-Arnold takes. Konate rises highest, on the penalty spot, but sends his header wide right. That’s a poor effort, given the big man was unchallenged.
15 min: Newcastle make it through that 60-second period a man light. On comes Ritchie.
14 min: Lewis can’t continue. Off he goes, as Ritchie prepares to come on in his place. Newcastle are down to ten for now.
13 min: Lewis chases after a long pass down the left, then pulls up clutching his hamstring. Salah has been turning him this way and that, and now this. Poor chap.
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11 min: Matip strokes a pass down the middle, Jota nearly releasing Mane with an instant flick. Another former Liverpool player, Manquillo, reads the danger and intercepts, just in time. Liverpool have started well, despite the scoreline.
9 min: Liverpool are this close to equalising immediately, Salah finding Mane down the inside-right with a cute pass, Mane lashing a shot across Dubravka and off the bottom of the left-hand post. The keeper gathers the rebound and then the flag goes up for offside anyway.
8 min: Alisson was unsighted as well, and he’s not happy with his defenders. A huge mistake by Thiago. Shelvey, as a former Liverpool player, doesn’t celebrate ... until he gets up the other end and can do his goggles thing with his own fans in the Anfield Road end.
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GOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Newcastle United (Shelvey 7)
It’s been all Liverpool, but now look! Saint-Maximin runs at Konate down the left. He feeds Fraser, who crosses poorly, but Thiago strokes an awful clearance straight to Shelvey, who from the edge of the D, takes a touch before steering a glorious curler into the bottom left! Alisson was rooted to the spot.
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6 min: Salah runs at Lewis again, draws him in from the right, then backflicks to release Jota into the box. Jota takes a first-time poke towards the bottom right. Dubravka saves well.
4 min: Joelinton’s poor clearing header gifts Salah the opportunity to run at Lewis down the right. He turns Lewis inside and out like an old sock, but takes it one trick too far, allowing the defender to regain his composure and block. That’s a couple of errors already by Newcastle, which will worry Eddie Howe.
3 min: Jota bursts into the box down the left. Murphy, who had gifted the ball to Liverpool while half asleep, wakes up, chases back, and sorts out the mess he made, putting a stop to Jota’s gallop. Fine defending in the end.
2 min: A cracking atmosphere at Anfield tonight. Newcastle are kicking towards the Kop in the first half. “I wear a Jurgen’s all-teeth smile as my mask and get smiles and compliments from strangers here in Illinois,” writes Mike McNally. “We should all wear his mask and follow his advice.”
Newcastle kick off ... but only after the knee is met by warm applause. There’s no room for racism.
Here come the teams! Liverpool are in red, Newcastle sport third-choice aquamarine. You’ll Never Walk Alone sung under the lights on a dry, crisp Anfield evening. The Albert Stubbins Derby kicks off in a couple of minutes.
“What a simple, brilliant, message by Klopp. Use him as the face of promoting Covid safety. Bin the politicians, play Klopp on a loop, outcomes will improve.” Preach on, Mary Waltz; you can speak for me. While we’re back on the subject, here’s more detail on the weekend’s Covid postponements.
... and now more Klopp, this time on the subject of the match. “It’s a difficult game. Newcastles’s situation is difficult, they fight with all they have. Most of us were in similar situations in our lives, and we take that really seriously. But we have our own targets and we have to show we are ready. The good thing about a banana skin is that if you know it’s there, you can jump over it or pass it, but the one thing we should not do is step on it. It should not be a banana skin because Newcastle is too strong for that, but in the public perception, for sure. But we are not here to fulfil public perception, we just want to win.”
Eddie Howe’s turn to chat to BT. “The players have responded positively to what was a disappointing result, but there were a lot of positives in the performance. We know we’re facing a really tough challenge today. We need to defend better, bring an attacking threat into the match, and we need a really good mentality coming here as well. We have tried to pick a team with the balance we need, and need to get our plan right. We have an exciting team in some senses with a lot of pace on the pitch, so hopefully that shows. We have to bring our A-game.”
Klopp has already made clear his feelings about the ongoing Covid crisis in this evening’s programme notes. “My message around this has always been simple and clear, I hope: I trust experts. I follow the advice of smart, educated people who know their field because they’ve dedicated their lives to it and have studied it ... Ignore those who pretend to know. Ignore lies and misinformation. Listen to people who know best. If you do that, you end up wanting the vaccine and the booster ... Clearly we hope disruption is minimal, but that’s not in our hands and nor should it be. Again, we must trust those who know best, those with the knowledge. We just want as many people as possible to be safe. Health has to be the priority always. Health of participants, staff and supporters.” The full text can be found here.
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Jurgen Klopp talks to BT Sport regarding the Covid situation. “We found out this morning and it is a big blow, it is clear. But this is the situation we are in. We all know that getting the jab does not make sure you will not get it, it just helps you through the time with no symptoms or lesser symptoms. We had to react and we reacted. At one point we have to make clear what the rules are, but with three players out, we wouldn’t have asked to not play a football game. It’s just that you don’t know anything about any other club: Newcastle had no idea we had cases, we have no idea if they have cases. We don’t have to name the players, just getting a conversation would be helpful.”
Three members of Liverpool’s squad have tested positive for “suspected” Covid-19. Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones are self-isolating as a result. Liverpool haven’t asked at any point for a postponement, insisting the situation is currently “under control”. It means there are two changes to the team selected for the narrow win over Aston Villa on Saturday: Joel Matip and Diogo Jota replace the stricken Van Dijk and Fabinho. Roberto Firmino has recovered from his hamstring problem and is on the bench.
Newcastle have no Covid-related issues, but they have made three changes to the side stuffed 4-0 at Leicester. Isaac Hayden, Jacob Murphy and Ryan Fraser replace Joe Willock, Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson, who all drop to the bench.
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The teams
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Konate, Robertson, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Thiago, Salah, Jota, Mane.
Subs: Milner, Keita, Firmino, Gomez, Minamino, Tsimikas, Kelleher, Williams, Marcelo.
Newcastle United: Dubravka, Manquillo, Schar, Lascelles, Lewis, Murphy, Shelvey, Hayden, Fraser, Joelinton, Saint-Maximin.
Subs: Clark, Wilson, Ritchie, Hendrick, Almiron, Darlow, Willock, Gayle, Longstaff.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).
Preamble
There’s no point resisting the memory of that game in 1996.
A similar goalfest tonight would be lovely, especially as it doesn’t look too long before the Premier League shuts down to deal with the latest Covid spike. Kick off is at 8pm GMT. It’s on.
