Was anybody really surprised by that? Newcastle United collapse like a punctured soufflé yet again at Anfield
Newcastle United's Anfield curse continues, as does their inability to win games without Bruno Guimaraes.
To be fair, we thought we were going to have to write a grovelling apology to Eddie Howe after criticising his team selection as the Magpies started brilliantly.
For the first half an hour, they were by far the better team. constantly on the front foot, pressing, creating chances. It just seemed like a matter of time before the deadlock would be broken.
Harvey Barnes rattled the framework of the goal with a powerful drive from a well-worked free kick as the Magpies got closer and closer.
It was on 36 minutes when the ball hit the back of the net, and it came via Anthony Gordon's first goal from open play in the Premier League this season. But once it went in, that was Newcastle's contribution to the game completed.
Imagine how good we'd have been this season if we'd managed to sign Hugo Ekitike
Hugo Ekitike once again came back to haunt us after rejecting us twice and then scoring at St James' Park, the Frenchman with the extremely punchable face bagged two goals in two minutes to send Liverpool in at the break with a 2-1 lead.
It was then time for one of Eddie Howe's famous demotivational half-time team talks, which worked wonders. Newcastle came out for the second half and executed Howe's game plan of "don't shoot, ever" to perfection.
It took a Florian Wirtz goal and 70 minutes before Eddie Howe put an actual striker on the pitch. Indeed, he sent on two, playing Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade together and even adding Will Osula later on, but you'd never know that we had three strikers on the pitch because there was absolutely nothing, and I mean NOTHING going on in attack.
Hats off to Ibrahima Konate for his performance tonight and a goal to dedicate to his late father
Ibrahima Konate, who had been a rock in defence all night, gratefully received a gift from Nick Pope, who palmed the ball down onto his toe for the centre-back to poke home. We can't even begrudge him the goal as it was his first game back after losing his father, and the emotion after he scored was so touching.
We just can't understand how we could have Liverpool on the back foot for 40 minutes and then turn all that off after we've scored and just let them have a free run. What is it about Anfield? Why are we so terrified of it?
It's actually disgusting how much we miss Bruno Guimaraes and, to a lesser extent, Joelinton, because Jacob Ramsey and Joe Willock are not it. They're alright in the middle of the park, but their final ball going forward is shocking.
Once again, Lewis Hall was the beacon of light in a festering pile of waste of a performance. Sandro Tonali also covered every blade of grass and can come away with his head held high. But as for the rest, they need to be plonked in front of a blackboard like Bart Simpson and write out 100 times "A football match lasts for 90 minutes and is not next goal wins!"
