Newcastle United vs Liverpool. Premier League.
St James' Park, NewcastleAttendance52,758.
Report and free match highlights as Liverpool win back-to-back games to open up the race for top four; Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo handed Liverpool a first-half lead before Nick Pope was sent off for a handball outside the box; Liverpool have played a game fewer than Newcastle
Sunday 19 February 2023 21:35, UK
Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo scored as Liverpool closed the gap on fourth to six points with a 2-0 win over 10-player Newcastle at St James' Park on Saturday Night Football.
Liverpool were put under the cosh by the hosts early on but quickly went 2-0 up against the run of play with goals from Darwin Nunez (10) and Cody Gakpo (17).
Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope was then sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity with a handball outside his box (22). The England international will now miss next Sunday's Carabao Cup final.
Undeterred by going a player down, Newcastle continued to look the most dangerous as Alisson kept out Allan Saint-Maximin's left-foot strike with some help from the bar before Dan Burn and Fabian Schar missed gilt-edged chances with their heads from set-pieces either side of the break.
There was a minute's applause before the game for former Newcastle forward Christian Atsu, who was found dead on Saturday morning in the rubble of his home following the earthquake in Turkey which took place nearly a fortnight ago.
Liverpool have now done the double over Newcastle this season - and remain the only team to have beaten them in the Premier League - as they move up to eighth. The Magpies, meanwhile, are now on a four-game winless run in the league ahead of a huge game at Wembley against Man Utd.
Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool boss, said the result is "massive, massive, massive, massive" for their season but challenged his side to show more consistency as he confirmed Nunez picked up a shoulder injury and would be assessed over the coming days.
Liverpool were second best in the opening exchanges as Alisson denied Miguel Almiron with a big hand as the visitors struggled to cope with Newcastle's intensity. But it was the Reds that took the lead when Trent Alexander-Arnold picked out a wide-open Nunez in behind the Magpies' defence before he emphatically converted after 10 minutes to silence a raucous St James' Park.
Newcastle remained on top but it was Liverpool who struck next. Gakpo connected with Mo Salah's sumptuous dinked pass ahead of Pope to make it two goals in two having taken six games to score following his move from PSV in January.
The game unravelled for Newcastle after that as Pope was sent off for a deliberate handball to deny Salah a goalscoring opportunity, becoming the first goalkeeper in Premier League history to concede twice and receive a red card inside 22 minutes.
Newcastle refused to give up as Saint-Maximin ran Liverpool's defenders ragged before seeing a left-footed effort tipped onto the bar by Alisson after half an hour. Burn then hit the bar with a header just before the break with a chance he probably should have scored from.
The Magpies were still on top in the second half as Saint-Maximin dragged the team forward with a brilliant individual performance before Schar missed a free header from a corner, sending his effort wide of the post, with Liverpool looking frail at set-pieces.
Nunez tested Newcastle's stand-in goalkeeper Martin Dubravka with a low effort that he was equal to before going off with a shoulder injury. Joelinton was also taken off prematurely with an apparent hamstring strain with Eddie Howe unwilling to take any chances ahead of Sunday's trip to Wembley.
Diogo Jota was among the Liverpool players brought off the bench and could have scored on multiple occasions had his finishing been sharper. Newcastle also had a chance to pull one back late on through substitute Callum Wilson on the break but he was denied by Liverpool's top performer Alisson.
Liverpool, who have now ended a three-game losing streak away from home, are hitting form at the right time ahead of a month of fixtures which includes their Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid and the visit of fierce rivals Man Utd in the Premier League.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports: "Massive result, clean sheet, two wonderful goals and space for improvement. I thought we did really well - the red card probably would have been a wonderful goal as well if Pope hadn't got his hand on the ball.
"Against 10 men we didn't react particularly well. Newcastle had nothing to lose anymore. You could see they're a top team with top character - they threw everything on the pitch. And we gave them too many set pieces.
"The most negative thing was that Darwin [Nunez] had to go off. We have to see how serious that is - hopefully not too much. We have to fight through these things. A third goal would have been extremely helpful, but we had to fight until the end.
"The relief of the 2-0, the red card, and all of a sudden one step less and the rhythm was gone. I wish we'd have done that better, but in the end I'm really happy we got it over the line.
"Diogo [Jota] could have scored. Bobby [Firmino] started really well and then lost two or three balls that pretty much gave them counter-attacks. Getting through this is the next step for them. Virgil [van Dijk], playing 90 minutes was hard for him. All the rest was really good."
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe told Sky Sports: "A lot happened in the game, a good start from us and we had the first chance in the game. We conceded two goals which is unlike us. I was disappointed with the goals, I thought we need to look back at them.
"Against these sorts of teams that's the last thing you want to see especially with the scoreline. I feel really sorry for Nick [Pope]. It's a very difficult one, he's come out and slightly misjudged the ball, I suppose technically it is a handball, I don't know the rules on the red card.
"I thought it was on the angle with defenders retreating to our goal but that was given. I thought the reaction to that sending off was brilliant from the team. I thought we stayed in the game and were competitive, we created chances and I felt if we could get the next goal we had a route back into the game but that never happened.
"I've had spells like this in my managerial career where you create chances and the goals don't come. But I back the players to come out of it, we've got too much quality not to."
Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin told Sky Sports: "It's a very bad day. I feel sad for Nick Pope because he tried to help the team. It's a bad red card for the team because he won't be able to play the [Carabao] Cup final. He helped us to be in that situation, so we need to support him and get behind him as a team.
"I think we played very well. We had the first chance with Miggy [Almiron] and after that they scored straight away. It was painful, but we just kept going to try to create more chances. Even with 10 men, we kept playing very well. We still had many chances, so I think it's very positive to see how we can play with 10 men.
"Even though Liverpool aren't in the top positions at the moment, they're still a great team. They showed that today. I think we need to be focused for the cup game, but I'm very disappointed about this game. It's always important to win before an important game.
"The real positive is that even with 10 men - they're still playing in the Champions League - we played very well and created so many chances to come back. We can be very proud of that, because I know many teams in that situation wouldn't create the chances we created.
"I'm sure we can cause Manchester United a lot of problems."
Newcastle's next game is their meeting with Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final - with the Magpies one game away from lifting their first major trophy in 68 years - on Sunday February 26, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 4.30pm.
Eddie Howe's side then return to Premier League action at Manchester City on Saturday March 4; kick-off 12.30pm.
Liverpool's attention now turns to the Champions League, with Real Madrid visiting Anfield for the first leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday; kick-off 8pm.
Jurgen Klopp's side are then back to work in the Premier League on Saturday with a trip to Crystal Palace, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 7.45pm.
