Liverpool learned the hard way life still remains in Steve McClaren’s Newcastle United team.
Newcastle defeated Liverpool 2-0 on Sunday at St. James’ Park in the Premier League. Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel scored an own goal for Newcastle with 20 minutes remaining, and Georginio Wijnaldum sealed the hosts’ victory with a late goal, which consigned the Reds to their first away loss under Jurgen Klopp and ended their four-game winning streak.
Liverpool now sits seventh in Premier League standings with 23 points after 15 games. Newcastle climbs one place to 18th on its first win in a month.
What happened?
Liverpool had plenty of momentum coming into the game. Newcastle had none. The pregame prospectus became irrelevant after just a few minutes, however.
The Reds put Newcastle under immediate pressure but faded almost as quickly as they started. The teams toiled through an uneventful and uninspired first half.
Christian Benteke could have changed the outcome in the 21st minute, but he inexplicably shot over the crossbar from just three yards out, typifying his disappointing outing.
Newcastle came out of its shell after 30 minutes and created a couple of dangerous moments toward the end of the first half. The Magpies’ early growth was a prelude to their second-half flowering.
Excitement grew during the second period, in which Liverpool never took full control. The teams traded a couple of chances and made substitutions over a 25-minute span. A breakthrough still hadn’t come.
That is, until Wijnaldum collected Moussa Sissoko’s cross on the edge of Liverpool’s penalty area in the 69th minute, dribbled around Dejan Lovren and shot from a tight angle. Wijnaldum’s effort might have gone across the face of goal, but Skrtel intervened and deflected the Dutchman’s shot into his goal.
The lifted Newcastle fans backed their players to earn a league win at home over the Reds for the second consecutive season. Liverpool pressed but lacked sharpness in front of the goal at key moments, and the referee’s assistant denied Alberto Moreno a wonder-goal in the 79th minute, incorrectly ruling the marauding fullback offside.
Newcastle dug in for the closing stages and caught Liverpool on the counter-attack three minutes into added time. The Sissoko-Wijnaldum linkup was decisive again, as the former surged down the right channel and met the latter’s late run with a well-placed pass into the center. Wijnuldum then dinked his shot over the onrushing Mignolet to confirm the result.
Why the outcome?
Newcastle played with confidence and commitment it hadn’t shown since its goal-less draw against Manchester United on Aug. 22. The hosts needed time to win over their skeptical fans but did after nearly an hour.
Liverpool demonstrated a lot of energy, but it was hard to match Newcastle’s “never-say-die” attitude on this particular day. Liverpool’s midweek game and trip to Newcastle (which had a week’s rest) sapped it of the burst it needed in a particularly physical contest.
The Reds’ focus and commitment were there. But they lacked cutting edge in the final third, as Roberto Firmino, Benteke and Jordan Ibe failed to unlock Newcastle’s defense early on, and Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi were nowhere near as devastating as they were Wednesday against Southampton. Adam Lallana helped in the last 30 minutes, but his contributions weren’t enough to shift the balance.
Key moment
Skrtel’s own goal put the Reds into a hole, and they lacked the quality to create and fire their way out of it.
(Not-so) Fun Facts
Skrtel’s own goal lifted him into territory he’d probably rather not enter.
Skrtel’s own-goal count is the result of his enduring presence on Liverpool’s back line and his desperation over preventing goals.
Up Next
Liverpool travels to Switzerland where it will face FC Sion on Thursday in their UEFA Europa League Group B finale. Liverpool will top Group B with either a win or draw.
Liverpool then hosts West Brom on Sunday at Anfield in the Premier League.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@premierleague
