Livramento shines, 3/10 flops – Newcastle United player ratings vs Liverpool
Newcastle United suffered the ultimate heartbreak as a 100th-minute Rio Ngumoha strike denied them an incredible 2-2 comeback draw.
After dominating the opening proceedings, the Magpies found themselves 1-0 down in this Alexander Isak grudge match after Ryan Gravenberch netted from distance.
Things went from bad to worse as, either side of half-time, Anthony Gordon was sent off and summer target Hugo Ekitike made it 2-0 to the Reds.
But somehow, 10-man Newcastle found their way back into the match, with Bruno Guimaraes heading home a Tino Livramento cross in the 57th minute to halve the deficit.
Eddie Howe’s men put in a stunning show of grit and determination from there, pushing Liverpool back despite being a man down, and seemingly snatching an unlikely draw in the 88th minute through substitute striker William Osula.
But there was one final twist as 16-year-old Ngumoha pounced in the 10th minute of stoppage time to break Newcastle hearts.
Here are the Newcastle player ratings from a breathless evening on Tyneside.
Nick Pope under fire
Nick Pope – 4
Came under heavy fire for the first goal, though in reality, all three Liverpool strikes were just excellent finishes. Only made one save.
Kieran Trippier – 3
Absolutely dominated from start to finish by Gakpo, who was fitter, faster and stronger. Trippier looked terrified of venturing too far forward, lest he be caught out by the Dutchman on the break.
Fabian Schar – 6
Caught the eye by roasting Florian Wirtz in the second half. Blocked Gakpo’s effort in the build-up to the second goal, but couldn’t get across quickly enough to deny Ekitike. Came off near the end with a head injury.
Dan Burn – 8
Was anything but refined on the ball, focusing solely on trying to keep Liverpool at bay with no care for style. But got the job done well, in fairness. Absolutely bullied Konate to provide the assist for Osula.
Tino Livramento – 8
Newcastle’s standout player on the night, bombing up and down the left flank for the first 76 minutes before switching to the right, and setting up Guimaraes’ goal with a delicious cross.
Bruno Guimaraes – 7
Lost a match-high 13 duels, but won one of the most important ones to head home the goal that brought Newcastle back into the match. Gave Gravenberch too much space on the opening goal, but really upped his level late on to inspire his side’s comeback.
Sandro Tonali – 6
Battled hard until finally succumbing to a shoulder injury that he tried to ignore. Not his best day at the office with the ball at his feet, but Tonali left everything on the pitch in terms of effort.
Joelinton – 6
A quiet game for the Brazilian, who has also succumbed to a muscle injury. Eddie Howe must be wondering if he’ll be able to field a team against Leeds at the weekend.
Anthony Elanga – 5
Showed plenty of promise with his speed and skill, but his end product didn’t hit the mark. That said, he delivered a few crosses that were begging for a striker to put away.
Anthony Gordon hits self-destruct button
Anthony Gordon – 2
Missed some big chances to put Newcastle ahead before completely self-destructing with a ridiculous challenge on Virgil van Dijk just after Liverpool had taken the lead. A deserved red card and a match-killing moment for the Magpies.
Harvey Barnes – 4
Failed to complete a single dribble throughout the match and created only one chance. A seriously disappointing performance, especially given he was up against a make-shift right-back in Dominik Szoboszlai.
Lewis Miley (on for Tonali, 66′) – 4
Looked a little out of his depth at times, struggling to get into the game.
Lewis Hall (on for Trippier, 76′) – 7
Gave Newcastle balance after the ageing Trippier disappointed. Definitely had an indirect hand in his side’s comeback.
Jacob Ramsey (on for Joelinton, 76′) – 6
Offered some late quality on the ball.
William Osula makes incredible statement
William Osula (on for Barnes, 76′) – 8
Came under fire for his performances in pre-season, but sent a real message to Eddie Howe with an unexpected equaliser from the bench. What a moment for the 22-year-old. Only completed one more pass (2) than he scored goals (1, FotMob).
Malick Thiaw (on for Schar, 81′) – 7
Probably wasn’t expecting to get his Newcastle debut, but got a great taste of the St. James’ Park atmosphere. Looked steady as he helped the Magpies maintain their dominance.