Gary Neville amazed by what Trent Alexander-Arnold did against Newcastle
But some of that frustration will have stemmed from Liverpool producing a lack of quality in the final third. However, there was one moment of outrageous quality to come from the boot of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Gary Neville amazed by Trent Alexander-Arnold strike
The right-back was just outside the penalty area when he received a ball which had flown over the box.
It quickly became apparent that Alexander-Arnold was going to hit the ball first time. But everyone would have surely assumed that he was going to try and cross the ball back into the box.
However, the 25-year-old decided to unleash his inner-Maicon and fire an attempt on goal from an almost impossible angle. Somehow, the ball smashed into the far post before flying away from danger.
The hit was met with a remarkable gasp from the Anfield faithful. And speaking on Monday Night Football (broadcast on 1/1; 20:39), Gary Neville admitted that he could not quite believe what he had just seen.
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“That’s obscene. That is obscene. You can’t shoot from there. My gosh. Wow, the best non-goal I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Liverpool star one of the only players who would attempt hit
It is moments like that which should remind everyone why Klopp is content to put up with the potential limitations Alexander-Arnold has defensively.
Only a few players in world football would have been daring enough to have an attempt on goal at that moment, let alone find a way to curl the ball enough to hit the far post.
It would have undoubtedly been one of the greatest ever Premier League goals had it managed to sneak inside the upright.
Mo Salah risks losing Liverpool job as Darwin Nunez ‘beats himself up’ in Newcastle win
Liverpool got the better of Newcastle in a pulsating clash at Anfield.
Liverpool moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League table as they defeated Newcastle 4-2 at Anfield on Monday night. Mohamed Salah was denied from the penalty spot midway through the first half but made amends four minutes after the interval as he opened the scoring from close range. Alexander Isak drew the Magpies level five minutes later before Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo netted for the hosts. Sven Botman gave Newcastle a fighting chance, but Salah converted from the penalty spot late on to bag all three points for his side. And Express Sport takes a look at the biggest talking points from the clash on Merseyside.
Calls for Salah to be taken off penalties
Salah failed to hold his nerve from the penalty spot once again in the first half as his thumping effort was palmed away by Martin Dubravka. Salah’s kick was devoid of any sort of finesse as he whacked the ball as hard as he could – and the shot also lacked the direction needed to bulge the back of the net.
He eventually converted from 12 yards later in the match but has now missed four of his last 10 Premier League penalties, which will be concerning for Jurgen Klopp. With matches often decided by the finest of margins, the Reds can’t afford to be giving up these sort of opportunities to score goals. And after the Egypt international saw his first effort saved, Gary Neville told Sky Sports: “Wonder when Liverpool will take Salah off of penalties. He won’t like it of course but they must be thinking about it.”
Nunez has what it takes to step up
Liverpool are set to lose Salah this month when the ace travels to the Ivory Coast to play at the Africa Cup of Nations. And Darwin Nunez has what it takes to be the Reds’ main man over that period as he is an absolute nightmare for defenders to deal with.
But he needs to learn how to finish. It’s something that has been said time and time again since his move to Anfield but, if Nunez could just take his chances, he could prove to be the difference in the title race. Nunez was hauled off just after the hour mark after missing a hatful of chances. And after the player missed with a header, Neville exclaimed: “He’s beating himself up now. I thought it was too high for him (the cross), but maybe it wasn’t. He’s coming off now, he’ll be devastated.”
Profligacy will cost Liverpool dearly
Liverpool had an expected goals tally of 4.25 with 20 minutes remaining but had only found the back of the net once by that point. Dubravka was outstanding in the Newcastle goal, but Liverpool were incredibly wasteful. If they can’t be more clinical in front of goal, it will cost them dearly between now and the end of the season.
Carragher and Neville purring at Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold almost scored a wondergoal in the first half as he lashed the ball towards goal when positioned just inches from the byline. The player is a generational talent and at half-time Neville said: “Oh my word, that’s the best non-goal I’ve ever seen.” And Jamie Carragher added: “Can you imagine trying that? It’s almost like Roberto Carlos.”
Games take their toll on Anthony Gordon
Anthony Gordon began the campaign in scintillating form and has already bagged six goals and six assists in the Premier League this term. But his output has reduced in recent weeks and he has contributed just one assist in his last six top-flight matches.
The 22-year-old has started nine matches since the start of December and appears to be in desperate need of a rest. Eddie Howe might have his hands tied due to the Magpies’ current injury plight, but he can’t keep relying on the same players and expect them to perform at their highest levels. He looked leggy and lethargic at points in this match and the long-term absence of Harvey Barnes, who would likely have been used in rotation with Gordon this season, is certainly taking its toll.
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As well as some wayward finishing, Lucho just hasn’t looked effective during games.
Thankfully, against Newcastle United this evening, that started to change. As well as having a goal tightly disallowed for offside, Diaz won the Reds a penalty after a jinking run into the penalty box.
And analysing the Colombian at half-time for Sky Sports, Carragher praised what he’d seen in the opening 45 minutes.
“If anyone was going to get it, [the penalty] it was going to be Luis Diaz,” said the Liverpool legend. “He’s had his best game in a Liverpool shirt for a while, looks back to his best.”
Diaz looking sharp again
Carragher was right to pinpoint Diaz at half-time. After some real struggles of late, the 26-year-old was far better this evening.
That continued into the second-half, with Diaz doing brilliantly to create the game’s first goal.
Driving up the Liverpool left with the ball, Lucho cut inside and picked out Darwin Nunez with an inch-perfect ball into the box.
Nunez then slid the ball across the six-yard box for Mohamed Salah who did the rest.
Beyond that, the £50m man was perhaps unlucky not to score, working Martin Dubravka on more than occasion.
As well getting shots away, Diaz delighted fans with a lovely Cruyff turn to beat Tino Livramento out on the left touchline.
Having looked lethargic and seeming to play within himself a touch, it was nice to see Diaz return to his showman self.
Still, the wait for a goal goes on, with Jurgen Klopp taking his No.7 of just after the hour mark. As Carragher points out though, this was a big step in the right direction.
Aside from the penalty miss, Salah looked a little out of sorts generally, too. His touch was heavy and his passes short. Frustration reigned.
But after shaking it out of his system – and changing his boots – at half-time, Mo was back to his old self just three minutes into the second period. Having scored from Darwin Nunez’s pass, Salah then turned provider, lofting a lovely ball over for Cody Gakpo to score.
And commenting on that pass for Sky Sports, Neville praised the Egyptian’s class.
“It’s class,” raved the Manchester United legend. “It was a difficult first-half for him but he is delivering for his team.”
Neville praises Salah resilience
This really was a game of two halves for Salah. It wasn’t just the penalty miss in the first 45, he was simply out of sorts.
He wasn’t perfect after the break, but as he often is after missing a big chance, Mo just looked determined to put it right. And put it right he did.
He couldn’t have asked for a better ball from Nunez just three minutes into the half.
From there on in, Salah smelled goals. He may have only got one more in the end, but the £34m man could easily have had three.
His ball across for Gakpo meant that the Egyptian King also ended the game with an assist to his name, too.
As he departs for AFCON, that now makes it 14 goals and eight assists in 20 Premier League games this season. Incredible.
What makes Mo great is that he is just so relentless. After a tough first period he could have hidden, or sulked in the second.
But to turn it around in the way that he did shows how elite his mentality is. Lesser players would have passed that second penalty on as well. Not our Mo. Some way to sign off, and some way to bounce back.
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