Moments from Liverpool's Premier League match versus Newcastle United on Saturday that you may have missed.
Liverpool kept their Premier League title hopes alive with a convincing win over Newcastle United on Saturday.
The Reds won 1-0 over the in-form Magpies thanks to a strike from Naby Keita in the first half. With four games remaining, Jurgen Klopp's side is still a point behind league leaders Manchester City.
During the 90 minutes at St James' Park, however, there was a lot that went unnoticed or under the radar.
Van Dijk was irritated.
Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip produced another near-flawless afternoon at Newcastle, helping Liverpool to their fourth clean sheet in a row.When one of them made a mistake, the other was quick to point it out to his teammate. Such was the case in the first half, when Matip's slightly undercooked pass to Van Dijk allowed Newcastle's Allan Saint-Maximin to sneak in before the Dutchman hacked clear.
To say Van Dijk was less than impressed was an understatement. When they went full-time, they were all smiles for another job well done.
Eddie has a shaky relationship with Klopp.
James Milner, making his first Premier League start since early January, was the biggest surprise on a teamsheet that featured five changes from the midweek triumph over Villarreal.
Milner, on the other hand, more than justified his selection, not least with his tackle on Fabian Schar, which set up the goal.And, during the second half, Magpies manager Eddie Howe could be heard on the touchline voicing his displeasure, while reminding Liverpool rival Jurgen Klopp of how the Reds scored the opening goal in a similar method at Anfield back in December. Playing to the whistle is clearly not popular on Tyneside.
Trent enjoys Henderson's company.
In the first half, Sadio Mane was hauled down approximately 25 yards from goal, giving Liverpool a great chance with the resulting free-kick. But who would take it if Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah were on the bench?Jordan Henderson, for example, tried his chances but ended up curling the ball high, wide, and unattractive. Cut to Alexander-Arnold on the bench, viewing a replay and then burst out laughing. Trent, you're being a little harsh there.
Henderson, on the other hand, was booed the whole game by Newcastle fans because of his Sunderland ties. When he was substituted late in the game, he could afford himself a smirk at the welcome.
Throughout the game, Newcastle's defenders had their hands full with Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota, and Luis Diaz. With 20 minutes remaining, the last thing they wanted to see was Mohamed Salah limping on.The Egyptian caused all sorts of issues for the hosts, including Dan Burn, who puffed his cheeks out in a loud sigh of relief towards the Newcastle fans lying prone on the turf after Salah was unable to keep the ball in play following one miscontrol.
Earlier in the game, at halftime, a home supporter called Ross hit enough balls into the designated target to win the grand prize: an autographed ball signed by all of Newcastle's players. Given their newfound wealth, you'd think they'd give him a better prize for his efforts.
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