Liverpool 3-1 Newcastle United: Salah matches Premier League record in landmark Reds win

Jonjo
Shelvey
opened
the
scoring
after
seven
minutes
at
Anfield
on
Thursday,
but
Diogo
Jota
soon
restored
parity
–
Liverpool
finding
the
net
for
a
club-record
32nd
game
in
a
row
across
all
competitions.

Salah
then
nudged
Jurgen
Klopp’s
side
ahead
four
minutes
later,
matching
Jamie
Vardy’s
record
for
scoring
or
assisting
in
15
consecutive
Premier
League
games,
before
Trent
Alexander-Arnold
produced
a
stunning
strike
in
the
second
half
to
confirm
victory.

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2210439

Liverpool,
who
achieved
the
2,000-win
landmark
in
4,227
games,
moved
three
points
clear
of
third-placed
Chelsea
–
held
by
Everton
–
and
within
one
of
leaders
Manchester
City,
leaving
Newcastle
still
three
adrift
of
safety.

RESULTS
|

FIXTURES

The
first
team
in
English
history
to
record
2,000
victories
in
the
top-flight

pic.twitter.com/tf982XhTES
Liverpool
FC
(@LFC)
December
16,
2021

Jota
was
thwarted
by
Martin
Dubravka
in
a
positive
start
by
Liverpool,
but
a
defence
missing
Virgil
van
Dijk
following
a
suspected
positive
COVID-19
test
conceded
first
when
Shelvey
whipped
into
the
bottom-left
corner
from
range.

Jota
equalised
in
contentious
fashion
as
he
smashed
in
a
close-range
rebound
to
his
own
header
with
Isaac
Hayden
down
inside
the
box,
before
Salah
rifled
Liverpool
ahead
after
Dubravka
had
denied
Sadio
Mane.

Salah
almost
doubled
his
account
in
the
first
half
but
uncharacteristically
dragged
wide.

Dubravka
was
called
upon
again
after
the
break
to
stop
Mane’s
header,
while
Jacob
Murphy
drilled
narrowly
off
target
with
a
rare
Newcastle
opportunity.

Shelvey
then
curled
a
free-kick
just
wide
of
Alisson’s
goal,
but
Alexander-Arnold
sealed
victory
when
he
arrowed
into
the
top-left
corner
from
outside
the
area
in
the
closing
stages.

What
does
it
mean?
Reds
keep
pace
as
Newcastle’s
Anfield
woes
persist

Newcastle
have
not
won
in
the
top
flight
at
Anfield
since
April
1994
(26
matches);
only
against
Manchester
United
(29
winless
games)
have
the
Magpies
endured
a
worse
away
league
run,
although
they
briefly
threatened
an
upset
when
Shelvey
curled
in.

Eddie
Howe’s
relegation-threatened
side
were
perhaps
unfortunate
to
see
that
advantage
wiped
out
with
Hayden
down
holding
his
head
but
could
have
few
complaints
about
the
final
scoreline
as
Liverpool
remained
in
pursuit
of
City
at
the
top
of
the
league.

Super
Salah
continues
to
fly

Not
only
did
Salah
equal
Vardy’s
record
with
his
first-half
finish,
but
the
Egypt
international
now
has
24
Premier
League
goal
involvements
this
season
(15
goals,
nine
assists).

Only
former
Newcastle
striker
Alan
Shearer
in
1994-95
has
been
involved
in
more
goals
before
Christmas
(25
–
16
goals,
nine
assists),
while
Salah
has
scored
in
five
consecutive
home
appearances
against
Newcastle
in
the
competition.

Howe
can
you
win
like
that?

Shelvey
may
have
put
his
side
ahead
with
his
third
Premier
League
goal
against
his
former
side
–
only
Nicolas
Anelka
(five)
has
scored
more
times
against
Liverpool
as
a
former
Red
–
but
Newcastle
again
paid
for
their
mistakes.

After
the
contentious
Jota
goal,
Shelvey
gifted
the
ball
to
Liverpool
before
Salah
scored.
Goalkeeper
Dubravka
at
least
impressed,
making
five
saves,
although
his
50
touches
were
the
most
of
any
Newcastle
player,
showing
their
inability
to
muster
a
sustained
response
after
falling
behind.

What’s
next?

Liverpool
travel
to
Tottenham
on
Sunday,
while
strugglers
Newcastle’s
task
does
not
get
any
easier
as
they
host
leaders
Manchester
City
on
the
same
day.