How do you even begin to describe such a remarkable game, or more specifically, an unforgettable second half of football? A match that concluded in a draw, yet felt like a loss, especially after Liverpool came from behind twice in a contest where they barely turned up for the first 45 minutes. Ultimately, as the dust settles on the midweek fixtures, the Reds’ Premier League lead has been trimmed from 9 points to 7.
Where do we even start?
Perhaps with well-deserved praise for Mo Salah, whose exquisite outside-of-the-boot pass set up Curtis Jones for a thunderous 50th-minute equalizer that rocketed into the top of the Newcastle net. Salah’s brilliance didn’t stop there. Only the crossbar denied him a sensational hat-trick within 15 minutes, as he almost single-handedly dragged Liverpool from 1–2 down to a 3–2 lead with just 7 soggy minutes left on the clock.
Online commentators are adamant the Egyptian King is on the brink of securing the long-term deal he’s been seeking to stay at Anfield for the rest of his career. If his electrifying second-half display last night—and his tally of 15 goals and 10 assists so far this season—don’t compel FSG to act swiftly, nothing will.
Speaking of contracts, we must mention Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Reds’ No. 66 fittingly entered the fray in the 66th minute and made an instant impact. Just two minutes later, he latched onto a loose ball in the chaotic midfield of St. James’ Park and attempted to thread it to Salah in the box. Denied at first, Trent tried again, and the Egyptian magician leveled the score at 2–2 from a seemingly impossible angle.
Trent’s influence didn’t stop there—he delivered the pass that led to Salah’s near-hat-trick effort off the crossbar and later provided the pinpoint assist for Salah’s strike that gave Liverpool their first lead of the night. A hat-trick for Salah would have also meant a trio of assists for Alexander-Arnold, making his substitution one of the most impactful cameos in recent memory. Dominik Szoboszlai deserves credit, too, for his role in the build-up to Liverpool’s final two goals, showcasing his quality in a lively 30-minute appearance off the bench.
Of course, not everything was positive last night. Conceding three goals for the first time this season exposed some glaring issues. Jarell Quansah endured a torrid first half, Joe Gomez made uncharacteristic mistakes, and Darwin Núñez appeared more intent on getting himself into the referee’s book than contributing constructively—though he wasn’t alone in his frustrations.
Referee Andy Madley (and I rarely discuss officiating) had an abysmal performance throughout. And then there was the heartbreaking finale: Caoimhin Kelleher’s costly error handed Fabian Schär a last-gasp equalizer. Yet, despite this setback, the towering Irish goalkeeper has earned plenty of goodwill over time.
Liverpool’s first-half performance was disjointed and defensively frail, leaving them repeatedly exposed. However, the remarkable turnaround orchestrated by Arne Slot at halftime cannot be understated. His tactical adjustments gave Liverpool a fighting chance, and while the draw feels like a gut punch, it’s better viewed as a hard-earned point rather than two squandered.
Elsewhere, results went against Liverpool in other Premier League fixtures, but through the stormy weather of Tyneside, the Reds still maintain a healthy 7-point cushion at the summit after 14 league games.
- Only 7 points dropped all season.
- 11 wins from 14 matches.
- The best goal difference in the league.
- Second-highest goal tally in the competition.
- Unbeaten on the road.
- Still competing in all four tournaments entered in August.
Let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture. Keep this perspective close—appreciate it while it’s still there for the taking.
Arne’s Afterword
“I’ve said many times already to the other media there were moments in the game where you thought if we could come away from here with a draw it would be a good result, but those moments were mainly in the first half. In the second half, especially after we scored for 1–1, I thought we were really impressive. We created so many opportunities, good chances. Then, one minute before the end being 3–2 up, it feels like a disappointment to drop two points”.
“I think Mo had a massive impact on the game. Dom came in really well, Lucho also, but I think in general in the second half we played much, much better than the first half. In the first half we had a lot of problems with their intensity, aggressive playing style without the ball — aggressive in a good way. We tried to cope with it, but every time we touched them we got a yellow and that doesn’t really help for us to be intense then as well. But we give credit to them, they were more intense than us. They forced us into too many mistakes. It wasn’t that difficult for us to be better in the second half with the ball and that’s what we were. Maybe it was difficult for them to keep the intensity of the first 45 minutes going and as a result of that, or of all of these things, we dominated the second half”.
