ST JAMES’ PARK, NEWCASTLE // At its unplayable best under Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool was able to rise above refereeing controversies, winning anyway through sheer, unrelenting brilliance. Now in a more fragile state, in a delicate stage of a major rebuild, it is more reliant on getting the rub of the green — something which has been distinctly lacking at the start of the new campaign.
For the second fixture in a row, Liverpool — once perennial winners of the Fair Play table under Klopp — saw a player dismissed. This time, it was Virgil van Dijk who got his marching orders, much to the Dutchman’s consternation.
Less of a farce than the Alexis Mac Allister situation last weekend, with no chance of this one getting rescinded, it was nonetheless a call that could have gone either way. It left Liverpool with a mountain to climb.
But the Reds managed an unlikely ascent of that peak. Weathering the storm, Darwin Núñez then entered the fray to devastating effect, salvaging three points from absolutely nothing.
Here are the four things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded.
New ‘rules’ are a free-for-all
As expected, this game did not take long to ignite. Trent Alexander-Arnold helped spark it into life, earning a booking for throwing the ball away after what was a blatant foul on the Liverpool man.
The touch paper was truly lit when Alexander-Arnold barged Anthony Gordon to the ground just moments later. The referee opted not to show a second yellow, sparking fury from the Newcastle bench and numerous players.
Under the letter of the new directives, maybe Alexander-Arnold’s first offence was worthy of a booking, ignoring the fact he should have had a free kick beforehand. But then about half of the Newcastle side should have been shown a card too, for demanding that Liverpool’s right-back be sent off after his clash with Gordon.
None received any punishment. Alexander-Arnold was ‘off the hook’ — but was clearly unlucky to be the fall guy in the first place, made an example of as a token nod to these so-called new rules. Perhaps Klopp was making that point, in animated conversation with the Newcastle bench as it bayed for blood.
Already far from a consistent group, these changes have made a mockery of any semblance of fairness from Premier League referees. Cards are now effectively at the whim of officials, and some kind of certainty is desperately needed.
Klopp gesture says it all
The controversy was only just beginning. Alexander-Arnold was in the thick of the action again when his poor touch let in Gordon to score the opener, but minutes later the focus was back on the officials.
A firm Van Dijk tackle was met with a red card, presumably for the denial of a clear goal-scoring opportunity. On another day, with another official, he might have been adjudged to have won the ball cleanly — and the sending off was not a certainty either.
Van Dijk did not hold back with his thoughts on the matter, berating every official he could find. But Klopp painted a different picture, ‘surrendering’ on the sidelines with his arms in the air and a bemused expression on his face. He then had to act as mediator as his captain continued to remonstrate with the fourth official.
Klopp isn’t always one to bite his tongue, but the arbitrary power now in the hands of referees cowed him into silence. On one level, that’s the point. But it sort of only works if there is transparency and consistency from officials.
Forcing players and managers into silence on poor decisions via threat of sanction isn’t exactly the best look. In a week where Mike Dean admitted that he declined to send his colleague to VAR in order to avoid the risk of embarrassing a friend, the profession has rarely been in such a shambles.
Endō takes a seat
It would be completely unfair to take a pop at Wataru Endō. Asked to make his full debut away at Newcastle, that formidable task was quickly compounded as he once again found himself contending with a numerical disadvantage.
All in all, he did a pretty good job. There were certainly some good moments. But one incident was something of an indictment — not of him, but of Liverpool’s recent decision-making.
Seeking to snap in and win the ball back, Endō was side-stepped effortlessly by Bruno Guimarães, with Liverpool’s new man sent sprawling. The Brazilian has been the difference-maker for Newcastle since signing, standing out as perhaps the greatest exponent of his role in the entire division.
for him last summer? Instead, it waited, and wasted a season. Fast-forward through a summer where key targets have slipped away, and Endō was the emergency solution.
Again, it’s far too early to comment on him, and he deserves only praise for how he has coped in difficult circumstances. But as Guimarães strutted his stuff, it begged the question of what could and should have been.
Núñez question persists
It took until the final 15 minutes, but Klopp did eventually elect to roll the Darwin Núñez dice. His caution was understandable in the circumstances, with Liverpool a man down, but the change instantly opened the game up.
I’d started writing this section even before he rifled in the equalizer, never mind the dramatic late winner. He’d already had one opportunity, stretching Eddie Howe’s back line and let down only by a slightly loose touch.
There was no mistake at the second time of asking. Ever since he joined Liverpool, he has been a chaos-maker, and a persistent question for Klopp has now increased dramatically in volume. When will he be handed the keys to the first team?
Núñez is still a rough diamond, and Klopp often seems to be left exasperated by his failure to spring the right pressing traps. But the outcomes speak for themselves: he makes things happen. He came with a big price tag, and it might be time to commit to building the next generation around him as planned.
