Newcastle 0 Liverpool 2: Klopp’s top four bid alive, Pope’s agony, Alisson’s excellence

Newcastle’s meeting with Liverpool always had the look of the game of the weekend, and it duly delivered the drama to justify that status.

A 2-0 win for Jurgen Klopp’s side reignited their previously fading hopes of securing a place in the top four, but of arguably more significance was a red card to Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope that leaves Eddie Howe desperately short of goalkeeping options ahead of next weekend’s Carabao Cup final.

Jacob Whitehead and Caoimhe O’Neill assess the big talking points from St James’ Park.

A Tyneside wobble leaves door open for Klopp

This is Newcastle’s first mini-wobble of the season — they have taken just three points from the last 12 available. But it is important not to overreact.

Attacking-wise, it was the most fluent they have looked since the first-half of the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Leicester.  It is noticeable that their best recent performances have come in the cup, and their grip on the top four has relied on Tottenham Hotspur slipping up below them.

Newcastle, whose next league game is a trip to Manchester City, are two points clear of Antonio Conte’s side while Fulham, in sixth, are now just one point off the top four, albeit with a game in hand.

But maybe the greatest threat was right under Newcastle’s nose on Saturday. Liverpool may still be lurking six points back but they, too, have a game in their back pocket. Continue their mini-revival, and there is a chance of repeating their exploits of 2020-21, when they took 26 points from their last 30 to finish third in the league, despite being mired in mid-table in February.

There is a sense of momentum being restored at Anfield after a largely torrid campaign, with key players returning to fitness and some of the campaign’s underperformers beginning to hit their stride.

Jacob Whitehead

How three key passes decided the contest

It took three passes, all slightly different, to give Liverpool a stranglehold on this game.

The first was a familiar injection of quality from Trent Alexander-Arnold: the defender was on the halfway line when he swung a ball into the path of Darwin Nunez who went on to open the scoring.

That was actually Alexander-Arnold’s first assist of the season after his cross to Cody Gakpo against Everton on Monday was scrubbed off upon review. Alexander-Arnold took that personally and there he was to pick out a perfect pass to split Newcastle’s defence.

The second pass was equally impressive: Mohamed Salah’s assist for Gakpo. It was an instinctive dink into the box which Newcastle could do little about. There was still plenty to do for Gakpo – as there was for Nunez minutes earlier. But the quality of the pass from Salah made it a lot easier for the Dutchman to grab his second Liverpool goal in as many games.

The third vital pass was Alisson’s quick release for Salah. It is this kind of pinpoint distribution Liverpool fans have come to know and love from the Brazilian goalkeeper. And it had Nick Pope scrambling so much he was sent off for handling the ball outside of his area and denying Salah a goalscoring opportunity. If Liverpool’s victory was not already assured, it was now.

Caoimhe O’Neill

Pope error costs Newcastle dear

Newcastle had a brilliant opening 10 minutes, harrying Liverpool at every turn. The next 15 were disastrous. Nunez and Gakpo’s goals had Newcastle down two goals for the first time all season, but the real kicker came after 22 minutes, when Nick Pope was sent off.

Pope is notably proactive, making more interventions outside his penalty area (2.18 per 90 minutes) than any other goalkeeper in the league. Alisson is third, averaging 1.90.

This has led to crucial saves throughout the season. His high positioning saved a point during the 3-3 draw against Manchester City, rushing out to snuff out a good chance for Ilkay Gundogan. In just the third minute of Saturday’s game, he headed away a dangerous ball through the middle when Fabian Schar and Sven Botman were split.

But his judgment erred disastrously shortly after. Alisson launched a long ball, searching for Mohamed Salah. On this second occasion, Pope bent down to head it away, but misread the bounce of the ball. With the ball too low for a header, the Newcastle keeper instinctively tried to grab it, 10 yards outside the penalty area.

Referee Anthony Taylor was left with no option but to send the England goalkeeper off. As he walked off, Pope’s face registered the anguished look of a man who would miss next weekend’s Carabao Cup final.

Worryingly for Newcastle, back-up Martin Dubravka is cup-tied, having played for Manchester United earlier this season. Eddie Howe’s only options are Loris Karius and Mark Gillespie — neither of whom have made a Newcastle appearance this season.

Jacob Whitehead

Saint-Maximin makes his point to Howe

Amid the rage of St James’ Park, Allan Saint-Maximin was raging against the dying of the light, and more than held his own in a compelling battle with Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Pope’s red card forced Howe to substitute Elliot Anderson, making his first Premier League start for Newcastle, who had linked up well with Saint-Maximin in the first half. But despite the numerical disadvantage, Newcastle continued to pressure Liverpool, hitting the bar twice.

Saint-Maximin was moved up front, playing alongside Alexander Isak in a two, and twisted and turned in the box, before unleashing a fierce shot which Alisson did well to turn onto the bar. Dan Burn headed onto the bar from a Trippier corner five minutes before half-time.

A driving run early in the second-half picked up a subdued St James’ Park, with Joe Gomez in particular unsettled when the winger had the ball at his feet. A cross only narrowly evaded Isak moments later.

This was Saint-Maximin’s best performance since his star turn in August’s 3-3 draw against Manchester City. It was just his third start since that month, and each appearance, following from a rusty performance against West Ham United, has been successively better.

It gives Howe a selection quandary for the cup final. Saint-Maximin got back into the team after Bruno Guimaraes’ suspension, profiting from Sean Longstaff and Joelinton sliding back one place apiece.

Guimaraes will return to that role next weekend, but can Howe drop Saint-Maximin? If Willock fails to recover from a hamstring injury, the Frenchman will definitely start — but might Howe be tempted to keep him on the left, and Joelinton in midfield, even if Willock is available?

Jacob Whitehead

Nunez shows a cutting edge at last

Darwin Nunez has had a curious start to life at Liverpool, with plenty of good (11 goals is a healthy return) and some bad (a red card and some missed chances). But his strike at St James’ Park to give Liverpool the lead might well be his most important given how well he took it.

Trent Alexander-Arnold helped him out with a delicious direct pass but even so Nunez had a lot to do. First he had to take the ball down with his right foot. He did that with aplomb and when it bounced awkwardly off his torso and towards his arm he was calm. He did well to ensure his arm didn’t touch the ball and then waited for the ball to bounce before smashing it with his right boot into the left corner.

It was a composed finish from Nunez, who looks like he is coming into his best form so far this season, and his timing could not be better with the top four race now alive and Real Madrid to come in the Champions League.

The one worry will be that Nunez was replaced before the hour mark after landing awkwardly on his shoulder. Fans will hope that was just a precautionary switch because Nunez is becoming an undroppable figure in Liverpool’s attack.

Caoimhe O’Neill

Liverpool’s defensive deficiencies are not cured

Alisson has been Liverpool’s player of the season so far and he proved exactly why against Newcastle. Throughout the game the Liverpool goalkeeper was constantly there to restore calm in anxious moments of defending, particularly from set-pieces, which continue to be a thorny problem for Jurgen Klopp.

Alisson’s excellence was there for all to see right from the start, when he delivered a superb one-on-one save to deny Miguel Almiron. That was followed up by an incredible save later in the half as he tipped Allan Saint-Maximin’s strike onto the crossbar. What else stood out was how often Alisson caught the ball to calm everything down and give Liverpool some breathing space between Newcastle attacks, while his eye for a pass led to Nick Pope getting sent off for Newcastle.

The second half started with Alisson, 30, jumping onto a dangerous header across his box and then ended with him saving in another one-on-one situation, this time from Callum Wilson to keep his clean sheet in tact.

Questions may well persist around Liverpool’s defending this season, but there is no question how integral Alisson remains to be.

Caoimhe O’Neill

(Top photo: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))