[SPORT] Fabian Schär stuns Liverpool to snatch late Newcastle equaliser in thriller

[H O L D F I R E 流]

Fabian Schär stuns Liverpool to snatch late Newcastle equaliser in thriller Louise Taylor at St James' Park Wed 4 Dec 2024 21.55 GMT Share As a smile spread slowly across his face, Mohamed Salah kissed the club crest adorning his rain sodden red shirt. The Egyptian’s ninth goal in seven Premier League games, and second on the night, had not merely reinforced Liverpool’s title challenge but strengthened the case for offering a forward who, right now, could probably walk unaided on the River Nile, a lucrative contract extension at Anfield. Not that Salah was the only man improving his negotiating position as Fabian Schär’s late equaliser ensured one of the games of the season, if not the decade, ended with honours even as Arne Slot’s league leaders’ winning run was finally halted. Much of that was down to Newcastle’s outstanding Alexander Isak. For much of an enthralling evening the Sweden striker eclipsed even Salah, scoring a fine opener and creating Newcastle’s second as Eddie Howe’s players remembered that they, too, can play a bit. Newcastle 3-3 Liverpool, Arsenal 2-0 Manchester United and more: Premier League clockwatch – as it happened Read more Newcastle began as if incessant repetitions of Howe’s mantra – “intensity is our identity” – were echoing in their ears. It meant that, with his Liverpool teammates struggling to recapture their familiar fluidity and fluency, Caoimhin Kelleher was quickly called to arms, saving smartly from Sandro Tonali following Anthony Gordon’s fine left wing delivery. After a disappointing defeat to West Ham here and an underwhelming draw at Crystal Palace Newcastle had raised their game in the manner that a side invariably at their best in counterattacking mode tend to do whenever high calibre opposition visit Tyneside. On an evening when Trent Alexander-Arnold initially rested his legs on the visiting bench, Jarell Quansah certainly looked a little uneasy as Gordon appeared on a mission to show Slot precisely why he was the subject of an ultimately collapsed transfer to Anfield last summer. Not that Salah looked remotely daunted as he engaged in an intriguing duel with Lewis Hall. The former’s blocked cross prefaced Alexis Mac Allister unleashing a half volley that drew an impressive save from Nick Pope. When Mac Allister’s next strike grazed a post Howe’s touchline agitation amplified but then Isak cleverly played Jacob Murphy in and the recalled right winger’s shot also brushed an upright. Like Salah, Isak wants a new club contract but until Wednesday night he underwhelmed this season. All that changed in the blur of movement embracing Isak’s collection of Bruno Guimarães’s reverse pass and ensuing imperious swivel that saw Virgil van Dijk turned in a style Slot’s key centre half is unaccustomed to. All that remained was for Isak to defy Kelleher courtesy of a viciously dipping and swerving shot dispatched into the top corner from around 20 yards. Mohamed Salah scores Liverpool’s third goal against Newcastle View image in fullscreen Mohamed Salah scores Liverpool’s third goal against Newcastle. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA Suddenly Kelleher seemed to be standing between Newcastle and a bigger lead as his saves repeatedly spared teammate’s discomfort. If Gordon really should have beaten him after dodging Joe Gomez with consummate ease no one could really argue that the injured Alisson’s stand-in did not deserve a touch of good fortune. By now it was easy to understand why Slot had warned his players that Newcastle at St James’ Park represented a tougher task than going toe to toe with Real Madrid or Manchester City.