On Sunday, August 27, Liverpool came from behind to defeat Newcastle United 2-1 at St. James’ Park in the Premier League. In the 25th minute, Anthony Gordon scored the game’s first goal, but Darwin Nunez’s second-half brace (81′, 90+3′) clinched a remarkable triumph for the Reds.
As a consequence, Liverpool currently has seven points from three games and is fourth in the Premier League standings, while Newcastle has three points from three after losing their past two.
In the first half, the Reds were doomed by a three-minute stretch. Trent Alexander-Arnold mishandled the ball, allowing Gordon to score, and captain Virgil van Dijk was sent out for a professional last-player foul on Alexander Isak.
While Nunez rescued the day for Liverpool this time, there will undoubtedly be questions about Liverpool’s performance against Newcastle. Jurgen Klopp will be concerned about two aspects of the game:
One persistent source of trouble for Liverpool's fullbacks:
Aside from scoring the goal, Gordon troubled Alexander-Arnold for the duration of his 72-minute stint on the field with runs from the left flank and the inside-left channel. The Reds’ plight on the opposing side was not much better, with Andrew Robertson under continuous pressure from the duo of Kieran Trippier and Miguel Almiron.
In the 76th minute, Almiron’s left-footed shot struck the post and might have put the Reds out of the game. To make things worse for the visitors, despite being down to 10 men, their midfielders mostly remained in the center areas and did not offer support for their full-backs.
Their lack of production from their three-man midfield:
Liverpool’s midfield frailties were exposed once again, as new acquisition Wataru Endo failed to impress during his entire debut in defensive midfield.
Dominik Szoboszlai also did not do enough to reclaim the ball. After the substitutions, the Hungarian midfielder appeared more at ease playing as a striker in the second half, much as he did against Chelsea in their first meeting. Only Alexis MacAllister contributed as a No. 8, putting up quick passes and assisting the Reds in retaining possession in the middle third.
Newcastle United midfielders Joelinton and Sandro Tonali, on the other hand, dominated the midfield until both teams made substitutes in the second half.
Harvey Elliott of Liverpool shined after coming on in the 58th minute, with his interception in midfield leading to the Reds’ winner in second-half stoppage time. Elliott also made an impression during his cameo against Chelsea and could be in line for a starting spot in the team’s forthcoming games.