LIVERPOOL 4 VS 1 NEWCASTLE UNITED
Liverpool – Ekitike 41’, 43’, Wirtz 67’, Konatè 90+
Newcastle – Gordon 36’
Pre-Match
Liverpool strolled through their midweek Champions League fixture, and now they are back at Anfield to play Newcastle United. Their league loss last week broke the team’s 12 game unbeaten streak. I’m sure they are very eager to get that back with three points at home. Liverpool welcome back Ibrahima Konaté to the defense today. Let’s see if the Frenchman makes a difference.
First Half
Newcastle pick up an early corner
at the beginning of the game, thanks to a timely clearance from Kerkez, which isn’t a great omen as we begin. It doesn’t lead to anything, and then the game continues. Newcastle looks like the team that is more invested in this game in the minutes.
Newcastle players are not being kind to Alisson. First it’s Hall who slams into him, and then Anthony Gordon does the same and gets a yellow card for his efforts.
Hugo Ekitike has the first chance of the game. He cuts inside and sends it to the far corner, but the Newcastle keeper is up to the challenge and easily makes the save. That was the first bright light from the Reds in this game.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah nearly take advantage of a clunky mistake from Trippier, who misplaces his pass. Szoboszlai intercepts and sends it to Salah, but unfortunately Trippier made up for his mistake and engineers a goalkick.
Newcastle rack up the set pieces as the first half wears on, winning successive corners and a few free kicks. Barnes rattles his effort against the post, letting Liverpool off once again.
On the other end, Ekitike is almost in off of a pass from Salah, but the goalkeeper’s outstretched arm sends the ball out for a corner. The corner comes to nothing, and it’s still scoreless at almost 33 minutes in. Liverpool look better though, after allowing Newcastle far too much grace earlier on.
So obviously, of course, because I typed that, Newcastle scored. Alexis Mac Allister tackles Barnes in the box. The ball ends up at Gordon’s feet, and the player fires a shot right between Kerkez’s legs and into the bottom corner. The threat does end there, and Alisson saves another effort from Gordon only a few minutes later.
Salah forces Pope, the Newcastle goalkeeper, into a save, but the play is called for offside after the fact anyway, so it wouldn’t have mattered.
No surprise to anyone, it’s the combination of Florian Wirtz and Ekitike who even the score again for the home tear. Cody Gakpo crosses the ball. It’s deflected to Ryan Gravenberch, who sends it to Wirtz. Wirtz does some fancy footwork to get free and feed Ekitike. The Frenchman makes no mistakes.
Less than a minute later, Ekitike bags himself a brace. Kerkez finds him alone, inside acres of space down the left side. Ekitike pokes it home and we love to see it. In a matter of seven minutes, the game went from goalless to 2-1. I hope no one had to take a phone call.
The half ends with Liverpool ahead.
Second Half
The second half begins, and it feels much more open than the first half already. A misplaced header by, once again Tripper, sets Liverpool on the break, but Szoboszlai ultimately ends up with an easy shot right at the goalkeeper.
Ekitike absolutely should have grabbed his hat trick, one v. one with the keeper, but his aim or his balance or something is off, because he makes a mess of the opportunity.
Liverpool win a free kick, eliciting sarcastic cheering from the Kop to show how they feel about tonight’s refereeing. Szoboszlai crosses to Virgil van Dijk, but the Dutchman’s header meets no one.
Wirtz grabs his own goal, courtesy of an unselfish Mo Salah. Gakpo passes to Wirtz, who sends it to Salah, who returns it to Wirtz. Wirtz slams in a low, thunderbolt into the corner for Liverpool’s third.
Salah almost gets in on the action moments later. Wirtz leads the effort across the pitch and gets it to Salah. The Egyptian performs some of his signature magic, but unfortunately his shot is wide of the near post. He’ll be let down by his finishing.
Not to be a nervous Nelly, but as someone who has eyes and has watched every league game this season, maybe we can score one more for safety? Or perhaps just end the match at 87’ minutes instead of the full 90+? Just spitballing.
Salah and Ekitike go off for Federico Chiesa and Curtis Jones.
Man of the match Wirtz is replaced by Wataru Endo.
Gakpo gets pummeled by Brown, which I guess is fine now, because there’s no call. Brown was booked a little earlier by Simon Hooper, and I guess the referee doesn’t want to send off the captain. Wow, that man really did two arm shove Gakpo to the ground as Gakpo blocked the ball as it went out of bounds. But that’s fine now. I’m cool with it. The fans and the players aren’t, they’re pissed and not shy about showing it, but sure.
Never mind, FORGET ALL THAT. Konaté scores Liverpool’s fourth in stoppage time. We love a storyline in this household! So glad for Ibou, who looks understandably emotional, and a great finish to the game. Szoboszlai swings in a corner. Pope drops it, and in all the commotion, Konaté rolls it in, past like three diving Newcastle players. I’m not a superstitious person, but you cannot tell me that his father did nudge that one across the finish line there.
Final Thoughts
I’m going to be bold and state that I enjoy games where Liverpool scores more goals than their opponents. They make me happy. And two high scoring games in a week is really making things feel the way they’re supposed to be.
