· 25 August 2025, 22:33
**We usually hate the phrase 'undeserved victory' as if you score more goals than your opponent, you deserve to win, but there's always an exception to the rule, and this was it as Liverpool came away 3-2 winners over Newcastle United.**
When Jamie Carragher even says at full-time that Liverpool were awful despite winning, you know how backwards that result was.
Newcastle United's Champions League season luck has returned as Sandro Tonali, Joelinton and Fabian Schar picked up injuries, and Anthony Gordon now faces a three-match ban for a straight red card.
It could well be the most expensive red card in Newcastle's history, as now they are even more desperate to sign a striker before next week's deadline, and clubs will know this and tack even more onto the value of any striker Newcastle may fancy.
Bruno Guimaraes and Ryan Gravenberch battled all game
Liverpool were woeful tonight, but still grabbed three points
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But, now that we've had our moan out of the way, we have to say that the match absolutely did not disappoint despite the lofty expectations. The crowd was electric, the players were fired up, and the Magpies had the champions pegged back pretty much all game except for their three smash-and-grab goals.
Ryan Gravenberch opened the scoring on 35 minutes, and as the Magpies pushed hard for an equaliser, a rush of blood from Anthony Gordon saw him go down the back of Virgil Van Dijk's leg and following a VAR review, Gordon's yellow card was overturned, and a red was shown in first-half stoppage time. How it was the only one of the game, we'll never know.
It took just 20 seconds into the second half for Liverpool to double their lead through, who else, but Hugo Ekitike, who was hot garbage for the rest of the game.
The game was won deep into stoppage time by a 16-year-old debutant
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Despite the one-man disadvantage, Bruno Guimaraes nodded home to half the deficit and ran off for one of the most passionate celebrations we've ever seen.
Then, as Newcastle saw three players taken off injured, the hope was starting to fade until Will Osula latched on to a long-ball free kick and poked home to level things.
Due to the injuries to Tonali and Schar, the referee, who had an awful game overall, signalled 11 minutes of stoppage time, and while it was Newcastle who looked the most likely to score, 16-year-old debutant Rio Ngumoha fired home in the dying embers to snatch the win. Quite why he was left with so much space in the box we'll never know. Our theory is that Tino Livramento thought he was still playing at left-back.
Other than Anthony Gordon for picking up a red card, we can't fault a single player on the pitch, overall. Yes, Tino should have been more alert for the third, but he had an amazing game until then.
The stats show that Newcastle absolutely dominated, but the champions did what champions do. What a game and what a shame.