Newcastle United got played off the pitch by Liverpool yesterday.
On paper, Newcastle United were expected to get blasted by Liverpool on Boxing Day. On the pitch, they were blasted by Liverpool on Boxing Day. We take a deeper look at the Toon’s lopsided loss.
Top Toons
Matt Ritchie: On a bleak day for Newcastle, the winger was a small bright spot. He provided quality crosses and was let down by the recipients of those passes.
Mediocre Magpies
Joselu: Starting for Salomon Rondon, he missed two quality chances to score on headers, including one that would have given the Toon a surprise lead. It was a rare start for Joselu and he did not take advantage.
Kenedy: A subpar season continued for the Chelsea loanee against Liverpool. He failed to make a difference in the match with his skill and speed and was subbed off for Sean Longstaff.
Jamaal Lascelles: Speaking of poor form continuing, the Newcastle skipper made a few more out-of-character mistakes yesterday. His headed clearance back into the area set up Dejan Lovren’s opening goal and he had a poor giveaway later that nearly teed the Reds up for another.
Quick Kicks
- It likely would have gone the same way, but can you imagine if Joselu buried that point-blank header early in the match? It would have stunned Liverpool and given Newcastle tons of momentum. But, per usual, he could not capitalize.
- What a soft penalty to award Mo Salah! I know, Newcastle United did not lose because of that call, but it is still tough to come up on the wrong side of a bad decision. Simply put, he got the superstar call/benefit of the doubt.
- Not often can you say a goalkeeper that conceded four goals was decent, but Martin Dubravka came up big on multiple occasions to keep things close. Without him, it could have been much worse.
- One positive of the embarrassing defeat was the Premier League debut of Sean Longstaff. Obviously the result was determined by the time he came on and he didn’t see a massive amount of the ball, but he looked comfortable and competent. It would have been awesome if he could’ve buried his shot.
What’s Next?
Newcastle United will face another top ten side on Saturday when they travel to take on Watford. The Hornets were defeated by Chelsea on Boxing Day, courtesy of a brace from Eden Hazard.