REDS BACK Nunez and Gakpo turn up heat IN TOON on top-four spot rivals
LIVERPOOL sent out a Reds alert to those clubs chasing Champions League qualification after shattering Newcastle’s 17-game unbeaten record.
And it won’t just be the demoralised Toon feeling hot under the collar as Jurgen Klopp’s side followed up their Merseyside derby win with more evidence they’re back in the groove.
While Newcastle’s wounds were largely self-inflicted, the stars are re-aligning for Liverpool ahead of Tuesday’s showdown against Real Madrid.
They were not at their best and far from dominant but significantly, key individuals are running into form.
Darwin Nunez opened the scoring on 10 minutes with his first league goal since the World Cup and seven minutes later, Cody Gakpo followed up his strike against Everton with a classy second.
Liverpool remain six points behind the Magpies with a game in hand but for arguably the first time this term, they now have forward momentum in their bid for a top-four finish.
But this was as much about Toon torment as a Reds’ revival.
As a Wembley warm-up, the game was a catastrophe with Nick Pope sent off and now out of the Carabao Cup final with the Magpies looking set to hand a debut to ex-liverpool keeper Loris Karius who is badly short of match action.
Of equal concern to Eddie Howe was the way Newcastle’s much-feted defence malfunctioned early on against the last team to beat them in a Premier League game back on August 21.
Kieran Trippier has been the Magpies’ heartbeat this season but the England full-back was culpable for the opener.
He played Nunez onside when
Trent Alexander-arnold delivered a pass between him and Sven Botman allowing the Uruguyan (right) to take a touch, pick his spot and lash the ball past Pope.
Gakpo’s goal on 17 minutes rounded off an exquisite move, started by Stefan Bajcetic and ending in Mo Salah dinking the ball over Elliot Anderson for his teammate to run on to and find the net with a clinical finish.
Newcastle have suffered some pastings from Liverpool over the years and were staring humiliation in the face when Pope suffered that fateful red card.
The alert Alisson, spotting Salah racing forward, sent a measured punt into Toon territory, Pope rushed out of his box and was forced to dive on the ball when he horribly misjudged an attempted headed clearance.
Martin Dubravka came on, Anderson was sacrificed and with his first touch, the
Slovak keeper kept out Gakpo’s downward header.
Newcastle did rally and Dan Burn was unlucky when heading against the bar from Trippier’s corner.
And it was to their credit that in the second half, it never looked like a ten versus 11 contest with the Magpies giving as good as they got.