Digging Deeper Into Liverpool’s Win Over Newcastle
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
It’s a closer look at the league-leading Reds’ latest conquest!
It started off quite sloppily, with Newcastle scoring on their very first visit into the Reds’ final third, after Liverpool had looked a little slow on the ball and lazy out of possession. It’s the sort of thing that can be expected when half your players have been around the world playing international games for a week, and, more crucially, the sort of thing that no longer seems to bother these Reds whatsoever.
Asserting themselves — and helped by a spectacular cameo from Roberto Firmino — the Merseysiders worked themselves back into the game, and in the end took their third, and most comfortable, 3-1 win of the year, extending their winning streak to 14 consecutive league games.
Here is a tiny little deep dive into some of the talking points that emerged over the course of another successful 90 minutes.
Winners and Losers
Bobby Dazzler: It’s getting kind of predictable now, but Roberto Firmino was outstanding once again today. After a pair of international games taking place in the United States and a long flight back home, the Brazilian started on the bench, but was thrown into the action when Divock Origi was forced off the pitch with an injury. The situation proved fatal to Newcastle, as the former Hoffenheim man put the Geordies to the sword by creating four chances — three of which were clear cut, as well as absolutely obscene — culminating in an assist for Mohamed Salah and creating the situation that resulted in Mané’s second.
With two assists and three goals already, Firmino is on pace for his most prolific season in red, and if Liverpool do end up lifting silverware next summer, the Brazilian will undoubtedly have played a crucial part.
The Power of Anfield: It’s been 874 days since the Reds last lost a league game at their home ground — the second longest such streak in the history of the league — and while most of the credit must go to the manager on the sideline and the players out on the pitch, the increasingly impressive ability of the supporters in the stands to create an atmosphere in which Liverpool are driven forward and the opponents buckle should not go unheralded.
Upon arriving, Jürgen Klopp made a point of impressing upon the fans how crucial their support is to the players, and the Liverpool faithful have clearly taken the challenge to heart.
Divock Origi: The cult hero of last season’s Champions League campaign didn’t have the most productive half hour today, and furthermore, limped off the pitch with an apparent knock on his ankle. No word yet on the severity of the injury, but with the schedule rapidly filling up in the coming weeks, the Belgian will have been expected to feature considerably, and any time missed could have a significant impact on the Reds’ season.
The fourth official: Referees in general have a tough job and get an upsetting amount of abuse thrown their way, but having Jürgen Klopp and Pep Lijnders chew you out like this after a goal because the Andre Marriner failed to call a blatant penalty a minute ago must sting a little extra.
lol pep lijnders the sweet little goof, "ALRIGHT GREAT GO--oh are we still pissed about the no-call on matip, got it, YEAH TAKE THAT YOU JERK" pic.twitter.com/iwhRFtx7rz
— Narrative Ultra (@NarrativeUltra) September 14, 2019
What Happens Next
It’s a tight schedule until the next international break, with Liverpool playing seven games in 21 days, starting with a trip to Napoli on Tuesday to kick off their Champions League campaign, before it’s off to a resurgent Chelsea next Sunday. Squad management will be crucial with such a busy calendar and the Reds expected to compete on both fronts, so hopefully they can get off to a good start in Europe in order to lighten the load towards the end of the group stages.
For now, though, enjoy another week at the top of the table.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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