TACTICAL ANALYSIS: NEWCASTLE 1-2 LIVERPOOL | DARWIN, SALAH & JOTA PREVAIL IN CHAOS

What a comeback for Liverpool in numerical inferiority. Newcastle able to dominate even at 11 vs 11 because of their pressing. Conscious effort to funnel ball towards Liverpool’s left side & then squeeze Robertson. Klopp’s men never got good control of the ball as a result.

Newcastle understood the lesson from last week vs Man City being more proactive in pressing in their own half, not allowing players like Trent Alexander-Arnold or Alexis Mac Allister to be comfortable.

Thanks to this came Newcastle’s goal. Another week another mistake from the Liverpool defensive line. Poorly first touch by Alexander-Arnold, Anthony Gordon recovers and drives to score the goal.

3 minutes later Virgil Van Dijk was sent off being Newcastle better before the red card. They needed more patience with the ball and not become so passive in defense. In addition, Eddie Howe didn’t make good decisiones, subbing Gordon, not helping the team.

Diogo Jota entered the field, showing the path to comeback. Good movements off the ball, quick transitions and finishing plays.

To hit the shots on goal came Darwin Núñez who scored twice. Both plays very similar, with Salah appearing inside and Darwin Núñez attacking space. In the first, with Diogo Jota between the lines and in the second goal with Darwin running into the same area, giving the Egyptian the assist, finishing both plays with powerful shots.

Darwin Núñez brought chaos to St. James’s Park and with the help of Diogo Jota and Salah turned the game around.