Newcastle United Football Club - Match reports

38mins Jordan Henderson slid in to prevent Isak from collecting Kieran Trippier's pass infield from the right flank just outside the box.

However, that took the ball only as far as Sean Longstaff, whose first-time pass picked out the unmarked Alexander Isak in the area. He confidently dispatched a right-footer into the roof of the Anfield Road end net. 1-0

Half time: Reds 0 Magpies 1

61mins Mo Salah sped down the right and as he neared the edge of the area, picked out Roberto Firmino's run and the Brazilian sidefooted the ball through Jamaal Lascelles' legs and beyond Nick Pope. 1-1

90+8mins Dan Burn did well to block Salah's shot and concede a corner. James Milner's flag kick from the Liverpool right was headed on by Gomez to the back post. Salah and Joe Willock tangled and as the ball dropped, Carvalho blasted in off the crossbar from barely three yards out in front of the away end. 1-2

Reviewing the five minutes of added time confirms just one additional stoppage. Pope goes down clutching the ball with 92:29 on the clock and play resumes 1:26 later at 93:55. The corner was awarded with 96:35 on the clock and refs almost always allow a corner to be taken until the attack ends.

Marriner would doubtless maintain that a minimum of five minutes added time was indicated. Had the board shown six minutes added time, then few would have been surprised with six substitutions (on three occasions), a goal celebration and several other stoppages for injuries and cramp.

Full time: Reds 2 Magpies 1

We Said

Eddie Howe:

"It’s painful, that. Oof! That is painful.

"I’m really proud of my players, the commitment to the game, and the execution of the game plan. But yeah, that’s very painful.

"When you’re in the lead here, it becomes a different game and we had to withstand pressure. I don’t remember them having too many clear-cut chances but thought we defended really well.

"The last goal was a heartbreaker. Everybody did well. Can’t fault anybody, it’s a great effort.

"Second half, we wanted to slow the game down, they wanted to quicken it up, so there were natural frustrations against two polar-opposite needs.

"That's the pain of football. That's the horrible side of it when your team has given everything. It is a sickener for us but it is part of the game. We just didn't deal with the corner.

"I thought we played well in the first half. Naturally when you are 1-0 up here you are not going to be the dominant team and you are going to have to withstand pressure. It is difficult to defend against this team.

"My ideal is that we’re booed off every week when we go to away grounds, because you don’t want to be popular. We’re here to win, we’re here to compete – and we’ll do whatever it takes to try and win.

"I was proud of my players today from start to finish. That were absolutely no concerns on any part of our play that disappointed me.

"You have to consider and take into account we had a day’s less preparation. Our players have emptied their tanks in every game. You look back to the Wolves game: we gave everything in that match. There was some fatigue, a couple of players going down with cramp.

"It has to be expected with the physical effort they’ve given today. There was no gamesmanship, that was just how the players were feeling at that moment.”

On debutant Isak:

"He looked really good. We didn't anticipate him playing the whole game. He picked up a knock, a dead leg, so we wanted to protect him but he looks a special player.

"He looked a threat and his pace was a key outlet for us. I didn't realise how close it was (the second Isak effort) until I just saw the VAR picture now. That's a hugely frustrating one because it's potentially game-defining."

They Said

Jurgen Klopp said:

"I am really happy that everyone saw it tonight - it was hard to take. It was a difficult game anyway, Newcastle invested a lot to close us down. They were close to getting pretty much everything for it.

"Of course everyone wants to see a football game and when it is interrupted that often it is not nice for anybody. The only chance we have, not just for this game but in general, the referee has to pick earlier yellow cards.

"I don’t know when the kicking the ball away stopped being a yellow card. When did this rule die?

"I had no idea if that tonight it was on purpose or if they players really had to go down because slightly injured. I don’t know.

"When we scored after 90-plus-eight minutes, it's the perfect response to that, to be honest. I'm really happy about that, but nothing else to say.

"It was the perfect moment to win this game because it was a difficult game, very passionate, aggressive defending. It's difficult to pick up the rhythm from a game where everything clicked immediately and you find yourself in situations where it isn't clicking immediately.

"I told the boys at half-time even before we were 1-0 down, we looked a bit desperate already, we didn't play the extra pass. When we did that, we were really dangerous, so we had to force ourselves to keep calm a little bit more and to keep going.

"It's a massive boost from a frustrating night. One of the best nights we ever had, that's how football is."

About Fabio Carvalho:

"He's a fantastic boy. We changed pretty much everything, we went very offensive orientated but he can also play there. If a boy is as good as he is then he needs the moment.

"It's a massive result, which we will remember it for years and years. We had a 3-2 win at Newcastle once where Divock Origi scored late. I'm not 100 per cent sure they all believed until the end - but from now on we have to as we showed again it is possible."

Stats

Newcastle surrendered their five game unbeaten start to the season in all competition, their best opening run since 2011.

Alexander Isak became the 255th different player to appear for the club in the Premier League - and the 161st to find the net at the right end.

A goal on his debut made him the twelfth member of that exclusive club and only the third of those to have broken his duck on the road, after Callum Wilson and Jeff Hendrick both netted at West Ham in September 2020.

Of that dozen debut scorers, only Alex Mathie (19 minutes) and Stephane Guivarc'h (28 minutes) did the trick quicker than Isak (38 minutes).

Isak is the sixth player to represent United at competitive senior level whose surname began with I: him, Jim Iley, Bill Imrie, John Inglis, Wilf Innerd and Stephen Ireland. Only he and Ireland appeared for the club in the PL.

He's the third Swedish-born player (and international) to play a senior game for the Magpies, after Andreas Andersson and current colleague Emil Krafth. Swedish goalkeeper Ole Soderberg got as far as the PL bench for United but didn't get on to the field.

The 2-0 win at Anfield in April 1994 remains our only PL success in 28 attempts and we've failed to win here in any competition since the 1-0 League Cup success in November 1995 - a 27 game barren run.

That November 1995 LC tie was the last time that any Magpies goalkeeper kept a clean sheet here, Shaka Hislop holding that record.

United have now opened the scoring in three of their last four Anfield visits. The lead provided by Jetro Willems back in 2019 was held for 21 minutes, Jonjo Shelvey's strike last season put us ahead for 13 minutes and tonight's effort from Isak was also retained for 21 minutes.

Carvalho's 98th minute winner may well have left the away support stunned, but unbelievably it wasn't even as late as the one conceded on our last Merseyside excursion - Alex Iwobi's clincher for Everton on the other side of Stanley Park back in March timed at 99 minutes.

That goal from Carvalho was the first that we've recorded here in the PL past the 90 minute mark since the 3-4 losses in 1996 and 1997, when Liverpool won both games with goals timed at 92 minutes.

Magpies @ Anfield: PL era:
2022/23: Lost 1-2 Isak
2021/22: Lost 1-3 Shelvey
2020/21: Drew 1-1 Willock
2019/20: Lost 1-3 Willems
2018/19: Lost 0-4
2017/18: Lost 0-2
2015/16: Drew 2-2 Cisse, Colback
2014/15: Lost 0-2
2013/14: Lost 1-2 og(Skrtel)
2012/13: Drew 1-1 Cabaye
2011/12: Lost 1-3 og(Agger)
2010/11: Lost 0-3
2008/09: Lost 0-3
2007/08: Lost 0-3
2006/07: Lost 0-2
2005/06: Lost 0-2
2004/05: Lost 1-3 Kluivert
2003/04: Drew 1-1 Ameobi
2003/04: Lost 1-2 Robert (FAC)
2002/03: Drew 2-2 Speed, Shearer
2001/02: Lost 0-3
2000/01: Lost 0-3
1999/00: Lost 1-2 Shearer
1998/99: Lost 2-4 Solano, Andersson
1997/98: Lost 0-1
1996/97: Lost 3-4 Gillespie, Asprilla, Barton
1995/96: Lost 3-4 Ferdinand, Ginola, Asprilla
1995/96: Won 1-0 Watson (LC)
1994/95: Lost 0-2
1993/94: Won 2-0 Lee, Cole

Full record against the Reds:

P W D L F A

SJP 85 33 26 26 122 107

Anfield 86 11 17 58 85 197

League 171 44 43 84 207 304

SJP(FA) 4 4 0 0 6 1

Anf/W 5 0 1 4 3 13

SJP(LC) 1 0 0 1 0 2

Anf 1 1 0 0 1 0

Cup 11 5 1 5 10 16

Tot 182 49 44 89 217 320

Waffle

A depleted Newcastle side surrendered their unbeaten record for the season on Wednesday night, as another Anfield late show left the Magpies pointless.

Leading thanks to a 38th minute strike from debutant Alexander Isak, Eddie Howe's side were pegged back by Roberto Firminio's leveller after the hour.

By then though United had been a denied a second goal by a dubious VAR call that ruled Isak to be offside by an almost imperceptible margin.

Our attempts to stonewall for a point then looked to have borne fruit, until Fabio Carvalho stabbed home from point blank range in the eighth of five minutes time added by referee Andre Marriner.

That evoked painful memories of last-gasp 3-4 heartaches suffered here in 1996 and 1997 and prompted wild celebrations from Liverpool fans and staff.

Police intervention was required to separate the home and away benches - Newcastle evidently frustrated with the antics of Klopp's lot - and an FA enquiry was announced amid claims that plastic drinks bottles were thrown.

Confirmation of Isak's work permit earlier in the day gave Newcastle a much-needed boost, but they arrived at Anfield with an injury list extending to Jonjo Shelvey, Callum Wilson, Bruno Guimaraes, Allan Saint-Maximin and Emil Krafth.

To their credit though the visitors took the game to a Liverpool side who had scored nine goals without reply against Bournemouth here last Saturday and were ultimately rewarded before the interval.

Isak had earlier made and missed one shooting chance and Ryan Fraser sent his effort narrowly wide of the crossbar as United looked more coherent and disciplined than in previous away games at Brighton and Wolves this season.

The breakthrough came seven minutes before half time; Jordan Henderson sliding in to prevent Isak from collecting Kieran Trippier's pass infield from the right flank just outside the box.

However that took the ball only as far as Sean Longstaff, whose first time ball picked out the unmarked Isak in the area - allowing him to confidently dispatch a right-footer into the roof of the net.

Isak's "second" was an excellent solo run down the left from Matt Targett's pass that saw him flagged for getting ahead of Joe Gomez, having left Andy Robertson on his backside and Gomez helpless in the box as he dribbled forward to beat flat-footed Allison in the Kop End goal. A raised flag and a VAR check cut short his joy though.

In terms of the VAR check - the camera used was well in front of the play and zoomed out at the time, so the decision was made using lines almost as wide as the players' legs and ones drawn on at an angle to the centre line (or grass cut line which are assumed to be straight for some reason).

Even then, Isak's foot was in line or behind Gomez's foot, although his knee or shoulder could have been an inch or two further forward.

Is the accuracy or impartiality of the line drawer or play-pauser beyond doubt? Not in our book. Isak looked more onside than Marcus Rashford did when his goal against Liverpool was allowed to stand last week. These are often referred as "matter of fact decisions". Nonsense.

Following the Liverpool equaliser, Isak was replaced by Chris Wood with Howe later confirming that the Swede was suffering from a dead leg. Hopefully that won't put his home debut on Saturday in doubt.

The later arrival of Elliot Anderson almost turned the game back in favour of United, the youngster in possession on the edge of the Liverpool box on 97 minutes but unable to get a shot off.

That failure proved to be costly, as James Milner's corner from the Liverpool right was headed on by Gomez to the back post. Mo Salah and Joe Willock tangled and as the ball dropped, Carvalho blasted in off the crossbar from barely three yards out in front of the away end.

Given the furore in front of the Main Stand it was unclear whether Howe slumped over the advertising hoardings in the manner of Kevin Keegan in 1996, but there were plenty behind the goal who were evidently anguished. For the younger lot present, you'll get used to it.

Speaking post-match, the Toon boss refuted accusations of "gamesmanship" from his side, but taking our black and white blinkers off for a second, frequent interruptions to play for a variety of ailments did begin to verge on the ridiculous - as the home side had done at Molineux a few days earlier.

The fateful incident that seemingly saw referee Andre Marriner adding time to the added time was a 93rd minute stoppage when Nick Pope went to ground after claiming a high ball under pressure from Virgil Van Dijk.

The arrival of the United Physio prompted an exchange between Klopp and fourth official David Coote and the goalkeeper looked in no great distress.

There was some context: earlier in that half Pope indicated that he needed assistance - Fabian Schar noticing while warming up and bringing drinks before returning behind the goal to pass Pope what may have been liquid painkiller. Pope was also attended to in the early stages of the game, prompting Karl Darlow to start warming up.

That's all purely academic though and history will record that we suffered yet another heartbreaking defeat here.

Once the shock subsides though, this was one of our better nights at Anfield recently and we gave a superior account of ourselves than when losing 0-1 to the same opponents on Tyneside last April. That new lad looks canny 'an all!

Progress then, as well as disappointment.

Biffa/Niall