Newcastle United’s return to Premier League action ended in frustration as Liverpool stormed back to earn a 4–1 comeback win at Anfield.
The Magpies have now dropped 16 points from winning positions in the league, keeping just two clean sheets in their last 17 games.
Eddie Howe’s boys made a promising start but left Merseyside with nothing, undone by two Hugo Ekitiké goals in the space of two minutes before halftime.
Howe set Newcastle up without a bonafide
striker even though he named three in the squad for the first time in at least five years, starting Anthony Gordon up front with Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga on the flanks. The strategy nearly paid off in the opening half-hour. Barnes hit the post with a free-kick, and Newcastle’s pressing created problems for the hosts.
Gordon’s persistence paid off in the 36th minute. Joe Willock broke down the left and found Barnes at the edge of the area. The ball fell to Gordon, who fired low past Alisson for his first Premier League goal from open play in a year. Believe that!
Liverpool were struggling to break down a compact Newcastle midfield and were visibly unsettled after falling behind, but sadly, their response was quick and ruthless.
Florian Wirtz and Ekitiké combined for the equalizer, the French striker poking home Wirtz’s pass. Barely two minutes later, Ekitiké doubled his tally, racing down the left and finishing after Malick Thiaw somehow and for unknown reasons decided he’d rather watch the Frenchman toy with him and failed to close him down.
The second half remained open. Newcastle pressed forward in search of an equalizer, but Liverpool found more space and were oozing confidence. Barnes forced a good save from Alisson, while Ekitiké almost completed his hat-trick after capitalizing on a Newcastle error.
Instead, Wirtz scored Liverpool’s third, finishing a move with Mohamed Salah, and substitute Ibrahima Konaté scored on a late Nick Pope mistake to seal the result.
Howe’s striker-less approach disrupted Liverpool early, but Newcastle’s questionable strategy faded as the contest wore on and the Magpies failed to convert chances in key moments.
The defeat leaves the Geordies smacked right in the middle of the table, 10th, six points behind Liverpool in fifth, and extends their long winless run at Anfield.
Next up, Newcastle face Manchester City away in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg on Wednesday, facing a 2-0 deficit on the aggregate.
