(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Liverpool - Newcastle

It's a whole new year, but it certainly feels something familiar about the weather, and Anfield, it is another bleak, miserable night. But there's been nothing bleak and miserable about Liverpool so far this season. It seemed as though it was from despair to wear at the end of last season when it came round in May, well, that wear is looking a pretty good place right now. Liverpool, top of the Premier League as we go into the new year. Tonight they take on a Newcastle side that is completely beset by injuries right now, but are still scrapping away for the top four. Let's take a check on the two teams, we'll start with Liverpool. Still, of course, a lengthy injury list for Liverpool, but what they perhaps have done a little better than the likes of Newcastle is managed it better with the depth of squad they have available to them. They made plenty of changes at Burnley in midweek, they went to their midweek team, today it's back to what we class more as the weekend team, as the likes of Dominic Soboslai return in midfield, alongside Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo and Mohamed Salah play their final games before they head off on international duty. One win in five for Eddie Howe and Newcastle, 11 players out that you would class as first-teamers, that list joined tonight by Kieran Trippi with a groin injury, Callum Wilson's out as well, so Tino Liveromento comes in at right-back, his last start was in their last win against Fulham, the injury problems have enabled them to blood another of their talented young players, Lewis Smiley is a local boy who's done really well alongside Sean Lonstadt, and Joe Linton, who returned on Boxing Day, starts again on the left side of the forward line, but does contain plenty of goals and talent in Alexander Isak and, of course, seven-goal Anthony Gordon. That's Alexander-Arnold. Abiy and Sher, who half-clears, this is Curtis Jones, this is Lewis Diaz. It's very nearly found Mohamed Salah. It's gonna find Trent Alexander-ARNOLD! And the deflection just takes the ball wide. Liverpool so close. Brilliant start from Liverpool, on the front foot, taking the game to Newcastle. What a ball, that is by Alexander-Arnold. Ball a little behind, and then it goes! An excellent save, Jones denied by Superblock. Liverpool refusing to lie down here. Now it's Endo! And that's off, Newcastle survive. What a save that was by Dubravka. I think it should be 1-0, though, I really do. He just got a little touch on it, he didn't get a really good purchase on it, I think Dubravka would have been a lot more trouble. Beautifully brings the ball out from the back, and finds a pass on towards Darwin Nunez, and Lewis Diaz scores for Liverpool! Simple as that, away through Newcastle. Daniels couldn't score, Lewis Diaz could, but the flag has gone up, and it might not count. Nunez might have gone a little too early. Well, what a ball, this is absolutely first-class, and I think just looking at the angle, I think Dan Burns a little bit fortunate there, because he didn't know he was playing Nunez offside. There you go. It's one of those tricks on you. That's Livermento, this is Soboslai, another brilliant tackle by Wataru Endo. Sets Liverpool off, Diaz, still Diaz, and goes down under the challenge of Sven Bortmann! It's a Liverpool penalty. Had to be. He danced his way through. Well, there's clear contact. It's a new year, it's Mohamed Salah from the spot, a breath to compose himself. And saved by De Braafke, Alexander-Arnold slices the follow-up horribly. And it's turned into a bad couple of minutes for Liverpool. Well, it's not a particularly good penalty, credit to the goalkeeper, he read it, went the right way to make the save. He was at a good height for him, but Alexander-Arnold never really attacked it in the right way. Offside there, play is going to continue for now. And this is the ball towards Dan Burns, and it's a goal for now, but the flag does eventually go up. It was a big celebration from Newcastle momentarily. And it is just a fraction offside, there you go. It's a clever throw, that's Luis Diaz. Now it's Joe Gomez. Alexander-Arnold... Oh, word! Well, it's one of those that he just fired across goal, hopefully De Braafke. Didn't even see it. I'm not sure, you know, he's got the ability, you make it look like he was gone for goal. Winslow-Linton's trying to create something now for Newcastle. Although Jones and Alexander-Arnold combine to take the ball off him, here's Soboslai. And now Luis Diaz. Soboslai's continued his run. Luis Diaz has used him as the decoy, what a pass! Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah! Liverpool score. Same old Mohamed Salah, he scores for Liverpool, and they finally find a way through. It was beautifully done. That's what you call clinical football, one end of the pitch to the other. A Newcastle player getting close to a Liverpool player, and Darwin Nunez just squared it. Could have taken the shot on himself, he knew Mo Salah was in a better position. This came from Joe Linton giving the ball away inside the Liverpool penalty area. And the quick passage of play, Soboslai on to Diaz, who comes in from this left-hand side, just goes past Dan Byrne effortlessly, sees the pass of Nunez. Boatman was playing him on, he squares it for Mo Salah on his right foot. Never gonna miss from eight yards out, and that's a perfect start to the second half for Liverpool. Well, he's seen Salah score a few down the years, along with Fabinho next to him, and they still love it. Salah for Nunez, oh, he's a dummy as well by Darwin Nunez. Mohamed Salah very nearly scoring, without even trying to score. I think the offside flag would have went up there, I just think Nunez was in an offside position when the ball came in. Another big challenge by Endo, Salah, Nunez! Saved by the goalkeeper! Astonishing stop by Martin Dubravka. How's he kept that up? It's not five, given the amount of attempts they've had in this game. We've scored a lovely, lovely goal, Liverpool. And there's Nunez again, and the flag stays down, and Nunez charges for goal, and Martin Dubravka is on a one-man mission to try and keep Liverpool out tonight. I don't think you can ask much more from Nunez in the position he's in now. And that's a ball for Isak, and that's nice, and Isak scores! Well, that's how to catch Liverpool out, it's Gordon to Isak, and it's a goal out of absolutely nothing, and Newcastle are levelled. Well, this is all about the quality of Anthony Gordon, who's moved from the right-hand side to the left. A lovely bit of skill to get away from two Liverpool players. Just places it beyond the Liverpool goalkeeper, into the far corner. Salah, a touch to get it under control. Endo. Not yet! Full opportunity because it was slightly behind him, so Iheanchi's neck back was to generate the power. That's Burn, that's Endo, that's Alexander-Arn. It completely changes the dynamic now of Liverpool's attack, with Jota and Gakpo on. Salah, though, still offers the same thing. Safe by the goalkeeper, Jones! Livermanto away to safety. Otherwise it was a goal for Liverpool again, but we've said that so many times. A goal for Salah, and is the defender. Do so, and this is Gakpo! Well, De Braafke once again is Newcastle United's saviour. The keeper's been inspirational, hasn't he? He's been absolutely outstanding, because this has come through a crowd of players. Here's Salah, and the little dribble... JOTA! Jones for Liverpool! They've played their way through Newcastle again! The touch by Diogo Jota! It's just something out of this world! And Curtis Jones, finally, for Liverpool, says thank you very much. Jota brought forward, little ball into Mo Salah, no question he's onside there. And then as he reverses the ball on, just there, he pulls it back, he's certainly onside. Wonderful one-and-two touch football from Liverpool. That's a clinical finish from Liverpool, and I said they're the best team in the league in transition football from defence to attack, they do it so quickly, the opposition can't get back into defensive positions, and no more than this Liverpool side deserve, they've been excellent. Salah, who's scored more and assisted more than any other player across the top leagues in Europe in 2023, is at it in 2024. He's teed one up for Cody Gatpoe, who couldn't miss. He nearly did! Tried to play it in first time, he's right-footed, just bounced up in front of him, the goalkeeper's gone, he's right, and the ball's gone in the opposite corner. Oh, they won, but I'm freaking at the stats. Two shots at goal, I think they've had, this evening obviously one on target. They haven't really had a great deal going forward. Longstaff with the corner, and there's a huge leap and a goal for Newcastle. It's a really, really good header, and it's all of a sudden 3-2, Sven Bottmann came through the crowd, showed great hunger, great desire, and Newcastle are back in it. Yeah, they certainly are back in it, we said about how good they are with the height they've got. This is Hall, it's actually hit Gordon, and McAllister has brought the ball away. Wettes knows it's the slippiest surface. Salah for Liverpool, seals it in for Salah. It's been an absolute pleasure, we can't wait to have you back. Oh, what a finish, ace-cool finish from Mo Salah, just by the time, waited, side-footed with his left foot into the corner, sent the goalkeeper the wrong way. Absolute joy in the stadium from the Liverpool fans. They're gonna miss this lad, he's been such an influential player in all the time he's been here. We're gonna miss his goals, we're gonna miss that smile. That's Gomez, that's Gravenberg really hard in style. Mohamed Salah for Liverpool, Ojota... He didn't get himself a hat-trick there, and he'll be annoyed he didn't get himself his customary stoppage time goal. He's a little bit greedy to get Salah, he's done ever so well, I thought he could have just laid it off into the path of Kiyota. Well, down the years there have been some real classics between Liverpool and Newcastle United, but Newcastle United 4-2 actually makes the game look a lot closer than it was. They are top of the Premier League, Liverpool 4, Newcastle United 2.