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Match Reports

Newcastle v Liverpool match report

9 years ago
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Newcastle v Liverpool

Newcastle 1 Liverpool 0   Saturday 1 November 3pm

After the fightback at White Hart Lane and the heroics against Manchester City in the League Cup, Newcastle had a fixture that invariably produces a story of more than just three points.

Today it was Newcastle United who banked the three points but just how bad is Liverpool’s collapse after last season?

They have gone from being a team offering threats all over the pitch to one who has Balotelli up front…

Maybe if Newcastle had shown more ambition we could have really enjoyed ourselves today but nobody was complaining at the final whistle.

The two teams largely cancelled each out and when Ayoze Perez stuck the ball in the back of the scousers’ net it was United’s first real threat.

Sissoko attempting to find Cabella but the ball falling for the Spanish striker, instinctively he lashed it into the net for another match winner.

Just like Newcastle, Liverpool could keep possession but struggled to do anything with it. Without Suarez and Sturridge their midfield looks clueless, Gerrard having seen better days and the likes of Henderson ponderous and predictable.

Even Sterling was below par, not that this detracts from Paul Dummett’s performance as he more than played his part in keeping him quiet.

United also deserve credit for overcoming two enforced substitutions.

Aarons replaced the unlucky Gabriel Obertan with less than half an hour on the clock, while Alan Pardew said he felt he had to bring Papiss Cisse off at half-time as he felt he wasn’t moving right as he continues to recuperate from his serious knee injury.

Happily, United do appear to have some strength in depth with youth managing the step up to the Premier League. Aarons was lively and Perez a match winner, not a bad pair of replacements.

Newcastle move on from this encounter looking upwards, while for Liverpool I’m not quite sure what they can expect in the coming weeks and months.

In the second half of last season the idea of Newcastle standing the remotest chance of finishing above Liverpool this season would have been laughable.

However, opportunity could just be knocking this season as teams such as Liverpool and Tottenham are floundering.

Can Newcastle be one of those to take advantage? With investment and careful nurturing of these young players, we could just have a chance.

Team: Krul, Janmaat, Coloccini, Taylor, Dummett, Colback, Abeid, Sissoko, Obertan (Aarons 27), Cisse (Perez 46), Ameobi (Cabella 66)

Unused Subs: Elliot, Ryan Taylor, Gouffran, Haidara

Ref: Andre Marriner

Crowd: 52,166

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