Bengaluru
Liverpool manager Arne Slot praised his players’ fortitude after their 3-2 victory at Newcastle United on Monday, saying his team had shown the kind of mentality needed to get results in difficult places.
With the match unfolding in the shadow of Newcastle’s dispute with striker Alexander Isak, who was reportedly the subject of a £110m bid from Liverpool this month, the Premier League champions endured a roller-coaster evening at a white-hot St James’ Park.
Liverpool squandered a two-goal lead against a Newcastle side reduced to 10 men after Anthony Gordon's first-half red card, but were rescued by a 100th-minute winner from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha.
“Winning away at Newcastle then you definitely need to have quality, especially in an atmosphere like this,” the Dutchman said. “Not football quality because that’s not what we showed today — apart from the last goal we scored.
“That looked a little like what I see on a daily basis on the training ground. But to have the mentality to fight here in such a hostile stadium, that is definitely something you also need if you want to compete in the end.
“Winning is something else but at least competing you definitely need to have this mentality — and that’s what we showed.”
Gordon has apologised to his Newcastle teammates and supporters after being sent off. He was shown a red card in first-half stoppage time for a rash tackle that left stud marks on the back of Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk’s calf — his initial yellow card being upgraded to a red by referee Simon Hooper.
“I want to sincerely apologise to my teammates and the fans,” Gordon posted on social media. “My intentions were pure. I was just trying to create energy in the game and I mistimed the tackle.”
The 24-year-old England international also apologised to Van Dijk.
“I would never intend to tackle somebody like this on purpose. We spoke after and he knows that,” the former Everton winger added.
Newcastle next visit Leeds United on Saturday.
_Reuters_