KLOPP DRAWS A BLANK
Another festive flop puts the brakes on Liverpool’s title surge
STEVE BRUCE paced and shuffled, always with his hands in his pockets — and always with his heart beating quicker and quicker.
On the eve of his 60th birthday, Bruce would have known there were countless, less stressful ways to spend his time than sweating on the outcome of every bouncing ball, as the champions laid siege to Newcastle’s goal. This, though, was the hand that fate had dealt.
Happily, this time Bruce held the aces. Whether it was Karl Darlow in goal or central defenders Fabian Schar and Ciaran Clark, Newcastle’s manager was rewarded with a night as good as anything he has enjoyed at St James’ Park, a point for his team that was richly deserved.
Nobody gave Newcastle much hope against a Liverpool team smarting after they had surprisingly squandered two points against West Bromwich Albion but, once again, those making pre- match predictions got it wrong.
Liverpool threw everything at Newcastle. They passed and probed and created opportunities but the home team, so often lambasted for lacking spine and gumption, held firm thanks to the kind of defending that was Bruce’s trademark as a player.
So another two points frittered away and the team who made 2020 their own now face a proper challenge if 2021 is to be just as successful. Their poor away form — just two wins outside Anfield this campaign — means we have a wide open title race.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp afforded himself a wry smile when it was put to him last week that Newcastle would represent a straightforward assignment. He remembers only too well the penultimate game of 2018-19 when they threw absolutely everything at his team as if their lives depended on it.
His apprehension proved to be well-placed. Newcastle started with purpose, almost taking the lead in the second minute when Callum Wilson — a beacon of endeavour — struck a near-post shot that took Alisson by surprise, the Brazil goalkeeper needing to tip it over the bar.
You could imagine what it would have been like had this wonderful stadium been packed to the rafters. It was the kind of moment that would have lit a fire under the home fans and had them ferociously bellowing their team forwards.
There was nothing dour about Newcastle’s approach and Wilson saw a diving header flash wide before he was thwarted by a welltimed Fabinho tackle. A shot from Isaac Hayden, meanwhile, crashed into the advertising hoardings from 25 yards.
Liverpool, eventually, started to find some rhythm. The momentum of the game changed back in their favour when Trent Alexander-Arnold hit one of the passes of the season, a cross- field ball that spun and dipped and raked its way for 70 yards over to Sadio Mane.
It was the first flash of genuine class from Liverpool and it rattled Newcastle, who were pushed deeper and deeper to the point Bruce was left clasping his hands behind his head as they were unable to pass forwards.
To say this was Liverpool at their fluent best would be disingenuous but they still looked the most likely to score before the interval and only two wonderful pieces of goalkeeping from Darlow ensured that parity was preserved.
First, he plunged down to his right to deny Mohamed Salah, who had found himself in yards of space after beating the offside trap to reach Jordan Henderson’s clipped pass. Salah stood for a moment, unable to believe how Darlow had outwitted him.
His next intervention owed more to instinct but it was just as brilliant. In added time, he flung himself to his right, again, this time pushing away Roberto Firmino’s bullet header from Mane’s cross. It was a huge moment, as going in trailing would hhave broken Newcastle’s spirit. But could they sustain it? It was going to take a huge physical effort to beat Liverpool, whoh were going to come out in the second half and keep knocking on the black and white door until it fell down.
Mane began the assault with a header from Alexander-Arnold’s corner that nestled into the sidenetting. Every time Liverpool put a sequence of passes together around Newcastle’s penalty area, Bruce hollered: ‘Get out! Get out!’ to the point that his voice was straining.
It was not the only thing under pressure, as the contest had effectively become attack versus defence. Salah should have given Liverpool the lead in the 65th minute, having been put through by a fabulous Firmino pass, but he somehow contrived to fire wide.
Klopp could not believe what he was seeing and was even more aghast a moment later when, from an Andy Robertson corner, Firmino headed wide with the goal at his mercy. As the clock ticked down and Thiago Alcantara was introduced, the rat-a-tat-tat of Liverpool’s persistence saw openings for Gini Wijnaldum, Salah and Fabinho but the best of the lot was destined for Mane — a yard from goal — until Schar arrived from nowhere to scoop the ball away. For the first time this season, Liverpool had failed to score in the Premier League.
At the final whistle, Bruce was finally able to exhale and when he sits down with a piece of cake today, he can reflect on a job well done. Happiness has been in short supply in these parts. He is entitled to enjoy this one.