On Sunday, August 27, ten-man Liverpool came from behind to defeat Newcastle United in the Premier League.
The Magpies began their season with a spectacular 5-1 victory against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa. Their next game was against Manchester City, and the reigning champions won by a close 1-0 margin. Eddie Howe and his team were keen to improve on their fourth-place result from previous season, so he chose a strong group.
The Reds, on the other hand, had an entertaining 1-1 draw with Chelsea before claiming their first win, a 3-1 victory against Bournemouth. Jurgen Klopp chose a solid side for this game, with most of their strikers available and ready to fire, while newly-signed midfielder Wataru Endo made his debut.
Liverpool v. Newcastle - 27/08/2023 #PremierLeague #PremierLeagueLineups #StartingXI pic.twitter.com/MjStPNSjYc
— Premier League Lineups (@MatchdayLineups) August 27, 2023
The first half was a tense, end-to-end battle that started equally, but Newcastle United pulled away as the game went. While the Magpies did play well, the most of their domination came due to Liverpool’s blunders stinging them in the behind.
Trent-Alexander Arnold made a vital mistake by failing to handle a pass, giving Anthony Gordon an open run at goal. After 25 minutes, the winger made no mistake, tucking the ball into the net to score it 1-0. Three minutes later, Reds captain Virgil van Dijk was sent out for a last-man foul on Alexander Isak.
Alisson Becker performed well to keep Liverpool in the game, but Newcastle lead 1-0 at the interval.
HT: Newcastle 1-0 Liverpool
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 27, 2023
⚽️ Gordon 25'
🟥 van Dijk 28'
A tough first half for the Reds 😬 pic.twitter.com/42O7ch4Y49
Despite having the obvious edge, Newcastle faltered severely in the second half. Their will to score a second goal was non-existent, as they generated half-chances despite being a goal up. This cost them the game late in the game, as Liverpool shown outstanding heart and game management to complete the comeback.
Klopp also made critical substitutions at the correct times, bringing in Darwin Nunez late in the game. The Uruguayan was the Reds’ standout performer, scoring the equalizer four minutes after coming in, followed by a stoppage-time winner with a similar finish to put the game to bed.
Liverpool defeated Newcastle United 2-1, and on that note, let’s take a look at their player ratings.
Liverpool Player Ratings
Alisson Becker – 8/10
Over the course of the game, Alisson produced a stunning seven saves, four of which came from within the penalty area.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 5.5/10
Alexander-Arnold’s misery began early in the match when he was sent to the sin bin for wasting time. Shortly after, he might have been ejected for a reckless tackle, but instead he remained on the field and made a mistake that set up Newcastle’s first goal.
Joel Matip – 6.5/10
Matip had a good game defensively, as he won two duels and made two clearances. He made it difficult for the Newcastle strikers to have free space.
Virgil van Dijk – 6/10
Van Dijk was only on the field for 25 minutes until he was sent off for an unsportsmanlike last-man foul committed on Alexander Isak.
Andrew Robertson – 6.5/10
Being a man down limited Robertson’s offensive flexibility, so he played a more cautious approach today. Three long balls, two crosses, and a vital pass were all played by him.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 6.5/10
Szoboszlai played the whole 90 minutes plus extra time and had a respectable game in the middle of the field.
Wataru Endo – 6.5/10
Endo played quite well in the middle and completed passes with an 87% success rate. He also made two tackles and a clearance while winning four duels.
Alexis Mac Allister – 7/10
Mac Allister was Liverpool’s top midfielder, winning five duels and recording four interceptions, two tackles, and two blocks. In the 77th minute, Darwin Nunez came in for a more offensive substitution.
Mohamed Salah – 7/10
Salah performed well on the right wing, getting off two attempts, one of which was on goal. In addition, he made two important passes and triumphed in three face-offs.
Cody Gakpo – 6.5/10
Gakpo had a good game for Liverpool up front, but he didn’t even try to shoot once. He was victorious in six battles and made a crucial pass.
Luis Diaz – 6.5/10
Diaz got off to a blazing fast start and even tried a shot on goal right away. Unfortunately for him, once van Dijk was sent off, he was benched in favor of Joe Gomez at center back.
Substitutes
Joe Gomez – 7/10
Gomez came in as a replacement for the Sharks after van Dijk’s early dismissal. His performance was nevertheless commendable, as he won four duels and made five clearances.
Harvey Elliott – 6.5/10
Elliott came in for Endo and performed well in the middle of the field.
Diogo Jota – 6.5/10
Jota came in for Cody Gakpo late in the game and was a big help.
Darwin Nunez – 8.5/10
After his club trailed against rivals Newcastle, Nunez scored the equalizer and eventual game-winning goal.
DARWIN NUNEZ DOUBLE TO GIVE 10-MAN LIVERPOOL THE WIN 🤯
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 27, 2023
INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE OFF THE BENCH! 🇺🇾 pic.twitter.com/SL2WRwfrGF
Jarell Quansah – 6/10
He came in as a late substitute for Joel Matip and contributed significantly.