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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Gareth Bicknell

The secret weapon behind Liverpool's title bid

Liverpool have a potent weapon in their assault on the Premier League title - their subs.

Super sub Divock Origi climbed off the bench to grab a dramatic late winner to send Liverpool back to the top of the Premier League table.

The goal earned Jurgen Klopp's side a hard-fought 3-2 win at Newcastle which sent them back to the top of the table and piled the pressure on Manchester City , who host Leicester on Monday.

Origi had come on for the injured Mohamed Salah, with Liverpool having lost their star striker and heading for a 2-2 draw which would been a blow to their title ambitions.

But Origi rose highest to meet a pin-point free kick from Xherdan Shaqiri - another sub - and headed Liverpool back into pole position.

Divock Origi celebrates his winner against Newcastle (Getty)

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It was a dramatic end to the game that ramped up the tension in a nailbiting title race.

But what was also remarkable about Origi's goal was that it was Liverpool's 12th by a substitute this season - more than any other team, according to stats experts Opta .

And as the season has moved into the business end, Klopp has shown his mettle as a manager with some of his personnel changes really paying off.

Milner scored a penalty at Cardiff (Getty Images)

Jurgen Klopp reveals why he knew Liverpool would beat Newcastle

Milner scored from the spot after coming on as a sub in Liverpool's 2-0 win at Cardiff last month - as he had done to score the decisive goal in a 2-1 victory over Fulham in March - while Jordan Henderson secured victory at Southampton with the third goal in a 3-1 win.

Origi also scored in the sixth minute of added time after coming on late in the 1-0 Merseyside derby triumph over Everton back in December which gave Liverpool huge momentum in the title race.

Klopp said: "Divock's goal was so crucial. What can I say it is just brilliant. It is like fairytale.

“You can say whatever you want about me – that I don’t play Divock or Shaq enough and then I make this decision – it’s great. That they do it. I love it. It was really a big moment.”

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