A Liverpool performance almost entirely devoid of intensity, purpose and game intelligence, as they threw away a two-nil lead against ten men, before a sublime finish from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha won the game in the 100th minute. The earlier goals by Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Etikite were cancelled out by Guimerez and Osula, as Liverpool clung on at St. James Park.
This quite remarkable, and frankly chaotic, match was always going to have added spice. However, the opening 15 minutes, with referee Simon Hooper bottling it after so obviously being caught up in the pre-match hype, contributed to an ill-disciplined and overly robust display from Newcastle. Urged on by a vociferous crowd, they flew into every tackle, were first to every second ball, won every duel, but ultimately it led to them receiving a red card. Anthony Gordon’s appalling tackle on Virgil van Dijk rightly led to his dismissal, but Simon Hooper’s initial decision to only punish the raking down of Van Dijk’s calf with a yellow card was symptomatic of yet another awful display of officiating in the Premier League.
Having taken the lead against the run of the play just after the half hour, with a near post strike from Gravenberch, Liverpool should have gone on to dominate a game in which, for an hour, they played against ten men. Indeed, given they doubled their lead in the opening seconds of the second half through Ekitike scoring again, the outcome should never have been in doubt. Liverpool though, were undone by long throws, free-kicks and some atrocious defending. Milos Kerkhez was culpable for Newcastle’s first, whilst Ibou Konate put in another displa, which may lead all concerned to think that a free transfer might suit all parties.
Having failed to learn their lesson when constantly under pressure through high long balls into their penalty area, they conceded again as Konate failed to clear a punt up field. Perhaps what’s worse was that you could see it coming and, in drawing level, the Magpies looked likely to go on and take all three points. Liverpool, ponderous and slack on the ball all night, looked at the moment as if they desperately wanted full-time and to escape with a point.
Yet, with over 100 minutes on the clock, up stepped Rio. In finishing off just about the only move of substance that Liverpool created in the second half, the teenager, just days short of his 17th birthday, seized his moment. A step-over from Dominik Szoboszlai, who produced a fantastic performance at right-back, left Rio with a clear strike at goal and he finished with a level of confidence that youngsters with so much obvious talent so often possess.
So Liverpool take six points from their opening two games, but Arne Slot will surely have concerns. His team look fragile when under pressure, Konate looks a mile off it, and playing two in midfield has left the side short of legs in the middle of the pitch. Despite Liverpool’s summer transfer activity, more bodies are clearly required. Personally, surely another centre half should be the priority, but with one week of the transfer window still open, we may see another forward added to the squad.
