Arne Slot head coach of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park on December 04, 2024
Liverpool cannot say they weren’t warned. But, for arguably the first time of Arne Slot’s reign, his players clearly weren’t listening.
The Reds boss had been keen to impress before the game that, in terms of an occasion, this visit to Newcastle United would be more difficult than overcoming, as his team had done in the previous week, both European champions Real Madrid and Premier League holders Manchester City at Anfield.
So it proved, not least during a calamitous first-half showing from which his team were always struggling to recover.
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That the Reds were twice able to fight back from going behind before entering the 90th minute in the ascendancy means there will have been a sense of regret among the Liverpool squad as they boarded the team bus that they couldn’t see the job through.
And it seemed harsh that Caoimhin Kelleher, who had done more than anyone to keep the Reds in the game during an alarmingly poor first-half showing, was responsible for the howler that allowed Fabian Schar to snaffle an equaliser for the home team.
But that Liverpool were even in that position owed everything to the continued brilliance of Mohamed Salah who, sensing what was required, stepped up in magnificent fashion by creating the first equaliser for Curtis Jones before twice combining with substitute Trent Alexander-Arnold to score. In between, there was an insane individual effort that hit the woodwork.
His second-half performance will have added to the growing clamour for Liverpool to thrash out a new contract agreement to prevent the generational talent walking away for nothing next season. That simply cannot be allowed to happen.
Certainly, his ability to single-handedly grab the game by the scruff of the neck and drag his team-mates with him is unsurpassed in this Reds squad.
Never mind the numbers of 15 goals and 12 assists in 21 appearances this season. Here Salah’s sheer desire to demonstrate his quality made the difference and ensured a difficult night didn’t become a truly damaging one.
It would have been impossible for Liverpool to maintain the form that had seen them previously win 18 of 20 games in all competitions and each of the last seven. That simply isn’t sustainable for any team.
And while the chasing pack have reduced the Reds’ advantage to seven points, this was another major hurdle negotiated without defeat at a venue where Arsenal lost and Manchester City were similarly held.
Nevertheless, with Everton, in relative terms, now buoyant, Saturday’s lunchtime derby, the last such league encounter at Goodison, has assumed an extra edge.
Liverpool can’t win every game, but they can certainly play better than they did here. Salah, however, is still at the peak of his powers.