Liverpool beat Newcastle despite playing with one less man

Center- back Virgil van Dijk received a red card in the first half but Liverpool still beat host Newcastle 2-1 in the highlight match of round three of the Premier League.

The new Premier League season has seen a regular pattern of the team receiving a red card winning the match, but few expected Liverpool to do so at St James Park. Trent Alexander-Arnold made a mistake that led to a goal, then Van Dijk was sent off in the first half hour, but Darwin Nunez shone with a brace in the final minutes to earn the visitors all three points.

Nunez (left) celebrates scoring against Newcastle at St James Park in the third round of the Premier League on August 27, 2023. Photo: PA

Arnold had a day to forget with some amateurish handling in the first half. In the sixth minute, he was knocked down by Anthony Gordon but the referee did not blow the whistle. The English defender threw the ball into the field in protest and was immediately booked. Seconds later, Arnold almost received a second yellow card when he elbowed Gordon to the ground to prevent a counter-attack. Newcastle's coaching staff and spectators shouted down to the pitch for referee John Brooks to send off the 25-year-old defender but he did not do so.

The nightmare did not stop there for Arnold because in the 25th minute, he failed to control Mohamed Salah's pass. Gordon quickly stole the ball, ran down to face him and shot through the legs of goalkeeper Alisson Becker to open the score. On the sidelines, coach Jurgen Klopp gritted his teeth when he saw his student's mistake.

Liverpool suffered further setbacks three minutes later when centre-back Van Dijk fouled Alexander Isak outside the box. Referee Brooks immediately sent off the Liverpool captain, despite explaining that Isak had tried to play the ball away from goal and Newcastle should not have been denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity. However, Brooks' decision stood, and VAR did not intervene despite Liverpool's furious response.

Van Dijk reacts to the referee after receiving a red card. Photo: Reuters — Van Dijk reacts to the referee after receiving a red card. Photo: *Reuters*

Newcastle fans were delighted with the development, and they cheered as Van Dijk walked off the pitch. This was only the Dutch centre-back's first red card in the Premier League for Liverpool.

Klopp was forced to bring on centre-back Joe Gomez and take off winger Luis Diaz. When he saw his shirt number on the substitution board, Diaz pouted but agreed to leave the field.

Newcastle played with more players but did not attack in a rush, focusing on controlling the ball firmly. They created two more good chances for Miguel Almiron but the first time goalkeeper Alisson jumped up to block the ball beautifully, the second time the ball hit the post.

The slender one-goal lead kept the visitors from losing faith, and the Liverpool crowd cheered enthusiastically. Their efforts were rewarded in the 81st minute when centre-back Sven Botman made a poor save from Diogo Jota's through ball. Nunez seized the opportunity to run down the right side of the penalty area, then shot low across the corner, hitting the inside of the post and into the net. The Liverpool crowd at St James' Park jumped up in celebration of their team's equaliser.

Nunez's successful shot. Photo: EPL — Nunez's successful shot. Photo: *EPL*

Manager Eddie Howe was visibly worried but he did not expect the evening to get even worse for his team. In the third minute of injury time, midfielder Bruno Guimaraes misplaced a pass in his own half, allowing Salah to pass the ball to Nunez who charged into the penalty area. Once again, the Uruguayan striker fired into the far corner to seal a 2-1 victory for Liverpool.

In the last minute, goalkeeper Nick Pope rushed into Liverpool's penalty area during a Newcastle set piece. He headed a cross from defender Kieran Trippier but the ball flew wide of the goal. The nightmare turned out to be not Liverpool's but the home team's.

Hoang An

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