ON RED ALERT
Willock’s leveller shocks Liverpool and damages Champions League bid
ONCE a fortress, Anfield now carries all the charm of a hospital waiting room for Liverpool’s players, such is the anxiety and stress it induces.
Mo Salah’s early goal should have prompted a routine win taking them back into the top four. Instead, they experienced another bout of the jitters as bad as anything seen in their six home defeats this season.
Having failed to defeat Magpies goalkeeper Martin Dubravka for a second time despite a range of changes, Liverpool’s timidity in the closing stages suddenly gave Newcastle belief that an improbable point was on the cards.
It created injury-time mayhem. First, Callum Wilson put the ball in the net only for it to be chalked off because he could not get his left arm out of the way of a ricochet.
That infuriated Newcastle boss Steve Bruce but incredibly Liverpool gave them an even later opportunity, in 95 minutes. James Milner was outjumped by Dwight Gayle in the box, belatedly claiming a push, and the ball dropped to substitute Joe Willock in space eight yards from goal.
Fabinho lunged in to block and watched in horror as the ball deflected off him to prompt jubilation in the away dugout, where Bruce embraced his goalscorer.
‘Very tough to take,’ said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. ‘There is nobody else to blame but ourselves. If you create chances and don’t take them, you keep the game open.
‘Newcastle had a goal disallowed, it was the first time we have been lucky with VAR, but we didn’t even take that present. I need time to be angry and frustrated. With results like this, you can’t make big steps.’
For Bruce, the precious late point should guarantee Newcastle’s Premier League status after a difficult season in which he has been ridiculed by supporters.
‘Something like 50 per cent of our goals have been in the last 10 minutes. It shows we are a team that keeps going,’ he said.
It has been a difficult week for Klopp, who has been caught between Liverpool’s attempt to join the European Super League and loyalty to his bosses.
There were protests outside the ground before kick-off from about 150 disgruntled fans and the irony is that Liverpool now have to qualify for the Champions League on merit, and there is every chance they will not make it sitting in sixth and finding it so tough at Anfield.
The lunchtime game had begun so well for them. Having conceded late at Leeds on Monday, Salah put them back on track with a typical bit of explosive finishing after just three minutes.
When Ciaran Clark headed Sadio Mane’s cross up in the air, Salah comprehensively outmuscled Matt Ritchie at the far post, controlled and swivelled 180 degrees before lashing his finish past Dubravka into the roof of the net.
It created a piece of history, Salah passing the milestone of 20 goals for the season, the first Liverpool player to achieve that feat three times in the Premier League era.
But it proved the last time Dubravka would be beaten all afternoon, though Liverpool’s strikers will not know how.
The Czech goalkeeper made eight saves in total, racing off his line to deny Salah and Mane and blocking with his legs to deny Roberto Firmino from six yards. Trent Alexander-Arnold nearly scored goal of the season with a wonderful volley that flew just wide. Milner, who replaced Diogo Jota when it became clear Klopp’s tactic of picking all his attackers was not working, was also denied by a full-length dive.
‘We rode our luck but the pleasing thing was we always looked an attacking threat as well,’ said Bruce.
He was right, partly because of Liverpool’s sluggishness at the back. Joelinton shot straight at Alisson when he cut into the penalty area. Sean Longstaff was also denied by the Brazilian when put clean through. Bruce called in the cavalry. Willock, on loan from Arsenal, was introduced alongside Callum Wilson. Finally, Dwight Gayle arrived after 85 minutes.
Salah soon hit the side netting then, after 94 minutes, Wilson burst between Alexander-Arnold and Ozan Kabak, Alisson rushed out to block and the rebound came off Wilson’s arm into the net.
Referee Andre Marriner did not spot it but VAR did. Bruce thought it was harsh, saying: ‘The handball rule has to be looked at. It isn’t the fault of VAR but it was a ludicrous decision. It is making a mockery of things.
‘We are going to have to look at these crazy rules. You think, “What a ridiculous decision”.
‘We are taking the letter of the law too literally. Do we want a situation of players running at full pelt with their arms behind their backs? It is ludicrous. It makes a mockery of it. It is not the fault of VAR, it is the fault of the rules but the goal shouldn’t be chalked off.
‘It is something we have to address. I might have been sitting here talking about a 2-1 win.’
Liverpool failed to learn even then. Sixty seconds later, Willock was unmarked to score. ‘You can’t sit too deep,’ said Klopp, who looks poised to sign RB Leipzig defender Ibrahima Konate in the coming weeks.
The chief casualty looks like being qualification for the Champions League.
‘If we play like this and don’t finish games like this off, why should we play Champions League?’ said Klopp.
‘We want to deserve Champions League and we don’t want to come and be cheeky, we want to earn it and with these results you don’t earn it.
‘It’s all on the table so go for it. It feels close to being unacceptable but we have to accept it anyway.’