6 hours ago
5
You could say Hugo Ekitiké was the one who got away from Newcastle last summer, except there were so many. But with a certain inevitability and a devastating, gamechanging performance, the Liverpool striker haunted Eddie Howe and the club who coveted him all the same.
Pain came in various forms for Newcastle. Superior for 40 minutes and deservedly ahead through Anthony Gordon, the visitors trailed at the interval thanks to a quick-fire brace from the player they tried to sign from Eintracht Frankfurt. Liverpool swept in for Ekitiké instead and their initial £69m outlay, rising to £79m, is proving money very well spent.
The 23-year-old reminded Newcastle fans of the scoreline when he left the fray at 3-1 and, when Ekitiké reached the Liverpool bench, there was Alexander Isak to congratulate him. Salt well and truly rubbed into gaping wounds. Florian Wirtz capped his own stylish display with a third before Ibrahima Konaté, playing for the first time since the death of his father, capitalised on another Newcastle mistake to score his first league goal at Anfield. The Liverpool defender dissolved into tears when the moment sunk in. Here was the consistency that Arne Slot has been searching for.
After the 6-0 rout of Qarabag in midweek, another impressive and heavy win showed his appeal for improvement in both boxes is getting through to his players. This was the first time Liverpool had come from behind to win in the Premier League at Anfield since the day they won the title against Tottenham last season. It was a recovery few saw coming when Gordon gave Newcastle a merited lead. Howe selected a forward line in Gordon, Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes designed to punish Liverpool with speed and on the counterattack.
The visitors’ gameplan worked to perfect until, to their managers disbelief, they found themselves chasing the contest at a ground where Newcastle have not won since 1994. Liverpool initially struggled to find gaps in the visitors’ compact midfield trio or find space behind their defence. Mohamed Salah was presented with a clear route to goal when Newcastle lost possession while committed to attack and Dominik Szoboszlai pierced their back-line. Salah had a three-yard start on 35-year-old Kieran Trippier but was caught by the veteran full back by the time he reached the Newcastle penalty area. Time marches on.
The visitors, by contrast, attacked with pace and purpose. Virgil van Dijk had to be at his sharpest to prevent Gordon’s cross reaching an unmarked Barnes in front of the Liverpool goal and did well to block Dan Burn when a Barnes cross sailed just in front of Malick Thiaw and his fellow centre-half. Barnes also curled a free-kick against a post, with Alisson well beaten, after being tripped just outside the box by Ryan Gravenberch.
Newcastle took the lead when Joe Willock surged down the left and found Barnes on the edge of the Liverpool area. Mac Allister challenged but inadvertently turned the ball into the path of Gordon, who pinged a low shot through the legs of Milos Kerkez and into Alisson’s right hand corner. It was the England international’s first Premier League goal from open play in 12 months and atoned for an early booking for a reckless foul on Alisson.
Newcastle were in control, their approach was delivering an accomplished away display, and then Ekitiké leapt on to centre stage and single-handedly wrestled the game away from them. The growing rapport between the France international and Wirtz engineered a swift equaliser when, after Gravenberch turned the ball into his path, the Germany international slalomed through the Newcastle defence and squared for Ekitike to poke home.
Two minutes later the Liverpool striker collected a Kerkez ball in space and set off towards Nick Pope’s goal. For reasons best known to himself, Thiaw made no attempt to close down Ekitiké and invited the in-form forward to shoot for the far post. Ekitiké obliged in style for his 10th league goal of the campaign and Liverpool’s 100th at Anfield under Slot, the century arriving in 46 games.
The shell-shocked visitors continued to threaten after the break and Barnes was denied by a fine Alisson save. But Liverpool were now a far more confident proposition and seized on any lapses or gaps in the Newcastle defence. Ekitiké could have had a hat-trick when capitalising on a slip by Burn but rolled his shot wide of Pope’s far post.
A poor clearance by Thiaw led to Liverpool enjoying the comfort of a two-goal advantage. Wirtz broke clear and found Salah, then held back on the edge of the area for the return pass. It fell perfectly, and Wirtz tucked a clinical finish inside the far corner. Konaté prodded home after Pope dropped a Szoboszlai corner in stoppage time. Newcastle’s Anfield torment continues.
