Liverpool staged a dramatic comeback against Newcastle in the Premier League, despite playing with 10 men for the most part following Virgil van Dijk’s red card. Substitute Darwin Nunez was the hero with two late goals, including a stoppage-time winner. With this, Liverpool rallied to a 2-1 win at St. James’ Park.
Read More: Leipzig come from behind to beat Stuttgart 5-1 in Bundesliga
Earlier, Newcastle had taken the lead in the 25th minute through Anthony Gordon’s goal. The young forward looked threatening on a few occasions in front of goal. Van Dijk’s straight red card just three minutes after the Reds conceded later placed them at a huge disadvantage.
However, Uruguayan striker Nunez delivered an unexpected turnaround for Liverpool. He equalised in the 85th minute before replicated his goal in stoppage time. This was Liverpool’s second consecutive victory as they maintain their short unbeaten record.
Read More: Bellingham’s stellar La Liga scoring streak continues, Madrid win 1-0 at Celta Vigo
What a finish from Darwin to get us level 😮💨#AD | #TeamPixel pic.twitter.com/HNgZaSa4pj
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 28, 2023
Newcastle’s missed opportunities, including a first-half save by Alisson Becker to deny Miguel Almiron and Almiron hitting the post later on, made all the difference. Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp’s team were impressive, extending their unbeaten streak against the hosts. Liverpool have now won 14 straight games against Newcastle.
Read More: Galatasaray beat Molde 3-2 in Champions League qualifying playoff
Liverpool has secured seven points from a possible nine and are trailing leaders Manchester City by two points. Meanwhile, Newcastle have suffered two losses in their first three games of the season, marking their return to the Champions League.
Throughout the game, Alexander-Arnold’s performance was precarious after receiving an unnecessary booking for discarding the ball. He narrowly escaped further consequences after Gordon went down following his challenge moments later.
Read More: Inter Miami beat Cincinnati via penalties, to play Houston in US Open Cup final
Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope, who was sent off in the same fixture last season, encountered a challenging start. He struggled to connect with early corners and later repelled Luis Diaz’s near-post strike. Alisson’s exceptional save prevented Newcastle from extending their lead before halftime when he managed to divert Miguel Almiron’s volley onto the crossbar.
Just WOW, @Alissonbecker 👏 pic.twitter.com/YpNFEVk5pD
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 28, 2023
Liverpool returned for the second half with Joe Gomez replacing Diaz, who was sacrificed due to the red card. They needed an exceptional effort to regain momentum, yet it was Newcastle that appeared more likely to score. Despite Almiron’s attempts and Joelinton’s contributions, Liverpool held their ground with 10 men mostly defending deep.
Read More: Rangers held to 2-2 draw by PSV Eindhoven in first leg of Champions League playoffs
Dominik Szoboszlai and substitute Diogo Jota infused Liverpool’s offense, pressuring Newcastle’s defense. Gordon’s close miss in the 64th minute was followed by a crucial intervention from Sven Botman to deny Salah’s scoring opportunity.
Almiron’s shot hitting the post in the 76th minute came before Nunez’s equaliser. The Uruguayan made good use of Botman’s error, levelling the score with nine minutes remaining. As Newcastle looked for a decisive goal, Nunez scored again in stoppage time. This time around, he was played a through ball by Mo Salah.
