Newcastle United 2-3 Liverpool

I feel quite nervous before this game as I watch the players walk out to a raucous atmosphere at St James' Park, and what a magnificent stadium it is.

What catches the eye is a large Newcastle United banner which says, in very large letters, "Get into them". There is an air of anger around the ground, not least you would imagine, fuelled by the Alexander Isak transfer saga.

FIRST HALF

The game got off to a frantic start with no real rhythm. There's a lot of fouls early on, two by Trippier (on Wirtz and Ekitike) but he gets away without a booking. On around 8 minutes Ryan Gravenberch is not so fortunate after a lunge on Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes. He receives a yellow card and although Guimaraes makes the most of it, it was a bad lunge.

It's a feisty start to the game and both teams are finding it difficult to settle early on.

On 12 minutes Newcastle United take a quick free kick deep in their own half and cut open our midfield way too easily. It almost leads to an attack but Alisson reads the ball well to clear.

On 13 minutes a good touch by Ekitike leads to a decent shot on goal by Wirtz but it's parried away for a corner by the Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope.

The game still has no rhythm but the better chances are falling to Newcastle United, who are the better team.

On 16 minutes we fail to clear the ball effectively and Anthony Gordon manufactures a free kick on the left edge of the box. Luckily for us Sandro Tonali blasts it straight through the box towards the linesman on the right touchline.

On 17 and 18 minutes two more free kicks are given way to easily to Newcastle United by the referee, Simon Hooper. It's becoming clear the referee's being influenced by the pressure from the home crowd.

We need to get more control of the game but it doesn't feel like it's happening anytime soon.

On 20 minutes after a long ball by Alisson we lose the second ball, and not for the first time in the match.

On 21 minutes it's way too easy for Newcastle United to pass through us as they muster another attack, but Trippier fails to deliver a decent cross and Alisson gathers the ball.

On 25 minutes Konate is booked. He isn't having his best game again. We look a bit all over the place on the whole and a little rattled by the atmosphere.

On 27 minutes the first big warning comes when Anthony Gordon heads over the bar from a dangerous cross.

On 28 minutes Konate is poor again as Newcastle United cut through us centrally and almost score, but Szoboszlai gets in a good challenge to put Anthony Gordon off his stride.

On a positive note Kerkez has performed better than he did against AFC Bournemouth last week, so far.

Also, Dominik Szoboszlai is having a decent game out of position at right back, using in-field runs to good effect when we are on the attack and defending well when required. The only criticism I could have is that he's allowed some dangerous crosses to come in by not getting tight enough, although I feel bad even saying it because he's putting in a great shift overall.

On 29 minutes Alisson takes his time with a goal kick to try to take the sting out of the game.

Long balls

Why are we playing so many long balls against such a tall strong team? Another one on 30 minutes comes to nothing.

There's another mistake by Konate on 31 minutes and Newcastle United almost score.

On 32 minutes Ekitike passes the ball into touch to the delight of the home crowd. He's been quiet so far but we know his ability to create and score from nothing.

On 33 minutes there's some positive signs as we manage to string quite a few passes together (on the grass), although it comes to nothing.

Newcastle United 0-1 Liverpool

WOW!!! It didn't quite come to nothing as first thought as we regain the ball from a throw-in and a solid Curtis Jones sucks in a few defenders which frees up space for Gravenberch, who takes a few touches a scores from the outside of the box to the inside of the left post!!!

Can you get more inside the inside of the post than that?! It took a very slight deflection but it looks like it was going in anyway. Get in!!!

That was totally against the run of play.

I am still feeling nervous whenever Konate is near the ball.

Ref Cam

This new referee camera is quite annoying. Some will love it. I can't follow it properly, it reminds me of a video game.

On 40 minutes Arne Slot is furious with Newcastle United's diving as he remonstrates on the touch line.

On 41 minutes it is a sitter for Curtis Jones but he can't get his foot on it, he misses the ball! That was a big chance.

Ryan Gravenberch, our 3rd centre-back

Gravenberch is slotting into almost a third centre-back position quite often, but it's effective and we need it with Konate's worrying form.

On 43 minutes there's another huge gap in our midfield and Newcastle United break forward.

On 45 minutes Anthony Gordon recklessly dives into a challenge at high speed with Van Dijk and Kerkez is furious with him. Gordon gets a yellow card. The replays are bad. One more inch and he could have broken Van Dijk's leg. There are stud marks down Van Dijk's calf but he is such a class act he doesn't react but protests as calm as you like.

VAR ask the referee to review the incident on the on-field monitor. The yellow card is upgraded to a red card and deservedly so.

Wirtz's socks

Did anyone else notice? They are so low down you would think he wasn't wearing any.

SECOND HALF

Newcastle United 0-2 Liverpool

Just 20 seconds into the second half we are two nil up!!!

He's been quiet, but he starts and finishes this move with absolute class! It's only Hugo Ekitike with a goal to the bottom right corner from just inside the 18 yard box! Arne Slot is still in the tunnel, he doesn't know what's going on ha ha

Newcastle United are losing their heads. We are now playing more football instead of long balls.

On 53 minutes there's a delay in the game as Ekitike gets one back on Tonali for an earlier challenge but injures him in the process. As the players wait around you can hear the Federico Chiesa song being sang loud in the away end!

Newcastle United 1-2 Liverpool

On 56 minutes the delay seems to have favoured Newcastle United as we fall asleep and Livramento sends in a dipping cross for Guimaraes to score with a header to the bottom right corner. It was way too easy for them.

You could argue they deserve a goal on the whole but it's a poor goal to concede.

We are starting to look vulnerable as Alisson tips over from a corner.

On 66 minutes Newcastle United almost score again. Their long throws, crosses and corners have been a worry all game.

The game goes through another scrappy period as the atmosphere is raised after the Newcastle United goal.

There are two further delays due to injuries on 74 and 78 minutes.

On 80 minutes
Chiesa and Bradley on
Wirtz and Ekitike off

On 86 minutes Curtis Jones wins a much needed free kick in his own half. He's been solid today and very assured in midfield.

On 87 minutes Conor Bradley goes on the attack but gives the ball away after an exchange with Mo Salah. In trying to get back he gives away a needless free kick in the Newcastle United half. It's a yellow card for Conor Bradley.

We set up a very very high line for the free kick which is making me nervous.

Newcastle United 2-2 Liverpool

It's a long ball over the top from the free kick and Konate doesn't deal with Dan Burn very well, the ball comes off Konate and lands nicely for Osula who pokes it home and it's 2-2. Why did we have such a high line?

We need some Chiesa magic now.

I BELIEVE WE CAN WIN THIS

The momentum has been with Newcastle United and the atmosphere is roaring again, but as I write notes for my Match Report I have this feeling. We can win this. The logic doesn't seem to agree with my thoughts, so I decide to write it down in my notes "I BELIEVE WE CAN WIN THIS".

In years gone by I wouldn't have had this feeling on many occasions like this, with the momentum against us, away from home, but there is something about this Liverpool team that is giving me belief, even when the game and stats suggest otherwise.

On 96 minutes
Jones & Gakpo off
Elliott & Ngumoha on

Newcastle United 2-3 Liverpool

On 100 minutes.
Can you believe it?

A nice touch from Elliott to Gravenberch. Guimaraes goes in hard on Gravenberch but Gravenberch gets the ball away to Bradley who passes it quickly to Chiesa on the edge of the box. Chiesa gives it to Salah who hits a one touch pass with his right foot across the centre of the box... Szoboszlai dummies it beautifully to tee up 16 year old Ngumoha who slots it ruthlessly into the right corner!!!

What on earth is going on?!!! Ngumoha runs and celebrates wildly and is jumped on by his teammates!!!

Remember the name...
RIO NGUMOHA!!!

On 101 minutes
Salah off
Endo on

FULL TIME
NEWCASTLE UNITED 2-3 LIVERPOOL

What an incredible win this was. We were not at our best at all. We played some poor football but we took our chances when we needed to.

Arne Slot's substitutions have again proved to be almost perfect.

He could have sent on Endo earlier to settle for a draw when Newcastle United had the momentum.

Instead he brought on two players that could win the game.

Newcastle United wanted to "get into us" and that they did. This was a game full of aggression from the hosts, and many will say they were unlucky not to get something from the game.

Ultimately though, their "get into them" tactics backfired.

They had a player sent off and rightly so, but unfortunately for them that left enough space for a 16 year old Premier League debutant, by the name of Rio Ngumoha, to light up their stadium in stunning fashion.