Premier League make official Liverpool decision after ‘scandalous’ Newcastle United call
Liverpool v Newcastle United is the first Premier League fixture to take place in 2024.
Anthony Taylor has been appointed as match referee for the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Newcastle United on New Year’s Day.
The Magpies head to Anfield, a ground they haven’t won at since 1994. Eddie Howe’s men are also in poor form having lost six of their last seven matches in all competitions.
Referee Anthony Taylor awards Newcastle United a penalty kick during the Premier League match with Wolves. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
There tends to be drama when the two clubs meet, and that was no different at St James’ Park in August. Newcastle led 1-0 against the Reds, who played an hour with 10 men after Virgil van Dijk’s red card, before substitute Darwin Nunez netted a late brace.
And in last year’s clash on Merseyside, a last-minute winner by Fabio Carvalho condemned United to a heart-breaking defeat, despite taking the lead through Alexander Isak on his debut.
The Premier League has confirmed the match officials for the fixture tonight with Taylor selected as the man in the middle. The Chesire-born whistler sent off Nick Pope for handling outside the box in Liverpool’s 2-0 win on Tyneside in February.
It will be the second Newcastle game Taylor has overseen this campaign, the first being the 2-2 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers in October when Callum Wilson was awarded a penalty. Wolves boss Gary O’Neil branded the decision as “scandalous”.
O’Neil said: “There wasn’t a penalty in the first half. Scandalous decision, terrible on-field decision and terrible VAR didn’t intervene. I thought they got it badly wrong.
“[Hwang] has a big touch for the penalty and then goes to clear the ball but makes such minimal contact with Schar, hardly any, a glance of the boot. Schar is already on the way down and the ball actually hits Channy before he makes contact with Schar so he gets the ball before he makes contact – that’s why it was a terrible decision.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool have drawn both games – Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion – that Taylor has taken charge of in 2023-24.
Taylor will be assisted by Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn, with Stuart Attwell and Mark Scholes on VAR duty. The fourth official is Andy Madley.
Liverpool “transfer mission” for £35M sensation continues with latest development
Liverpool have sent scouts to watch Michael Olise as they consider a move to sign him as a long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah.
Football Insider reports that the Reds sent their “top scouts” to assess the winger during Crystal Palace’s recent 3-1 win over Brentford – a game in which Olise scored.
Their “transfer mission” has been underway for several years with Liverpool gathering data on Olise since he was a 17-year-old at Reading. His £35 million release clause makes a potential transfer very affordable.
This season he has managed five goals and one assist for the Eagles but there is the feeling among his admirers that he is capable of far more than that.
Still only 22, the sky is the limit for the gifted forward.
He has yet to display a prolific side to his game but as Salah has taught Premier League spectators, it’s not always fair to cast judgement on young attackers.
England has the most competitive and physical league on the planet so, of course, young wingers are always likely to struggle to match the more experienced stars for end product.
That said, Liverpool need to ensure they replace Salah with a player they are certain can score 20+ goals a season otherwise the Egyptian’s departure will hurt even more.
FI reports that while the former Chelsea forward will not be leaving the club this month (obviously) an exit in the summer transfer window is “highly likely.”
The Saudi Pro League has ambitions of completing a marquee move to sign the 31-year-old.
Michael Emenalo, the Saudi Pro League’s director of football, confessed in October that Salah is his favourite player.
He said: “Mo is welcome at any time, but no one is pressured or forced to come.
“If anyone wants to come here and there is an opportunity to work with the transferring club in a very respectful and professional manner, we would be very happy to have them.
“But Mo is a personal favourite of mine.”
Salah has yet to show any signs of decline and given his competitive nature, it seems to me that he is not yet ready to leave the Premier League and Liverpool behind.
His body is in incredible shape and with 16 goals and 8 assists, he has a legacy that becomes more and more impressive with each passing match.
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Gomez has been in the news a bit recently having really stepped up this season. With the 26-year-old now needed to cover injuries at left-back, he’s proving his worth once again.
After a difficult season last year, this has been brilliant to see. And despite suggestions that Gomez could have been sold in the summer, Klopp has now said that the player himself has always wanted to be at Liverpool.
“He [Gomez] never came to my office and asked, ‘Can I go?’ No, never,” the Reds boss said in quotes from The Independent. “It was always sorted before it could get to that point. We sorted a new contract, he wanted to sign and he wanted to stay.
“I think him and his wife really feel he is Liverpool through and through and so that is the reason more than anything else.
“He knows that in his time with his injuries that if you go somewhere and get injured you are just a different player. But here he is still our boy and we will deal with it and you have all time to get back and that is a positive as well.”
Gomez not going anywhere
This is really nicely phrased from Jurgen. Gomez has certainly had his ups and downs since arriving at Liverpool in 2015, but perhaps that’s why his connection to the club is so strong.
Having joined as an 18-year-old, Anfield has been his home throughout his adult life.
‘Don’t know if I can say it’: Daniel Agger makes honest admission about Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool
Gomez may be a London boy, coming through at Charlton Athletic, but it’s Liverpool where he’s grown into a player and a man.
Still just 26, there’s every chance that Joe could be a Red for plenty more years to come, too.
That means that despite his often turbulent time being in and out of the squad, perhaps he could yet nail down a regular starting spot once again.
So far this season, the England international has shown that that certainly isn’t beyond him.
If you asked Gomez himself, he’d probably prefer to be in the team in his favoured centre-back position. But this season has underlined that chances will always come for him across the back-line.
Should Liverpool’s reported interest in the likes of Devyne Rensch come to fruition, maybe that will stop being the case. But for now, Gomez is a really important player for Liverpool. As a big Red, that will mean a lot to him. Joe Gomez, adopted Scouser.
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