LET’S hope things are different at Wembley. Newcastle United still can’t win at Anfield – after Wednesday night's latest defeat, it is now 29 league games without a victory at Liverpool’s home ground – and while Eddie Howe’s side were far from embarrassed as they took on the champions-in-waiting, there was little to suggest things will be different on neutral territory next month.
True, Newcastle’s prospects would have been enhanced had it been the absent Alexander Isak breaking clear instead of Callum Wilson when the Magpies were one goal down towards the end of the first half, and the Swede’s return will undoubtedly increase his side’s attacking threat provided he is fit for the Carabao Cup final.
Liverpool won comfortably, though, without really getting out of first gear. Mo Salah was a fair way off his best yet still finished the night with another assist. Diogo Jota only flickered sporadically; Cody Gakpo is still easing his way back after injury. Goodness knows what might happen if they really turn it on when the sides meet again on March 16.
Newcastle were committed and industrious, and at no stage did they look like being blown away in the manner of some of their recent outings at Anfield. They were going to have to defend impeccably to take anything from the game, though, and that simply didn’t happen. The Magpies didn’t have a shot on target all night. Liverpool scored with their first after just 11 minutes.
It was an extremely soft goal for Newcastle to concede, with Fabian Schar failing to adequately close down Luis Diaz, enabling the Colombian to pick out Dominic Szoboszlai. He threaded a shot through both Sandro Tonali and Dan Burn, and while his effort lacked venom, it still evaded Nick Pope, who seemed to take an age to dive down to his left. Two games in, and Pope, who survived a real scare towards the end of the first half when he played an attempted clearance straight at Salah, has not exactly justified the decision to jettison Martin Dubravka.
Newcastle’s defence was stretched on repeated occasions as Liverpool looked to add to their lead, with Schar fortunate to survive when he allowed Jota to spin away from him when he was the last man on the halfway line. Referee Stuart Attwell brought the play back – had he allowed it to continue, Jota would have been through on goal.
That was the position Wilson found himself in towards the end of the first half, but while the striker spun away from Ibrahima Konate to reach Burn’s through ball, he guided a side-footed effort across Alisson but wide of the post.
At least it was an opening, though, and while they might have looked vulnerable at the back, Newcastle carried a threat on the break for most of the evening. It was a certainly a much brighter attacking display than the one they produced at Manchester City earlier this month, with Anthony Gordon repositioned into a ‘number ten’ role and Joe Willock moved to the flank.
Indeed, with Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali making a fairly decent fist of shutting down the Liverpool midfield, there was precious little to choose between the teams for much of the night when it came to clear-cut opportunities.
The difference, of course, is that Liverpool only need half-an-opening to strike. Lewis Hall did well up against Mo Salah for most of the evening, but when the Newcastle full-back stood off slightly in the 63rd minute, Anfield’s Egyptian king took full advantage. Slotting a pass past Hall and Burn, Salah teed up Alexis Mac Allister, who calmly swept a first-time finish into the far corner. Even in one of his quieter games, Salah still manages to come up with either a goal or an assist.
He almost claimed his second of the latter with 17 minutes left, but while his cross with the outside of his foot was exquisite, a sliding Diaz could only stab wide at the back post.
