Alexander-Arnold tops player ratings in Liverpool victory over Newcastle

Forwards and Substitutions

Mo Salah – 8

Salah continued his reign as one of the most reliable finishers in the world, scoring the go-ahead goal off the rebound. He had a rare miss a bit later in the first half, pulling a shot wide after a beautiful play-in by Ox.  Salah was subbed off in the middle of the second half.

Diogo Jota – 8

Jota was able to equalize for Liverpool on a controversial play with a Newcastle player down injured in the box. Benefitting from the “play to the whistle” mindset, Jota stayed aggressive, firing a header at Dubravka before forcing the rebound to the back of the net for his ninth goal of the Premier League season. The score kept Liverpool’s time trailing in front of a home crowd short, catapulting the momentum back to the Reds’ favor.

Sadio Mane – 6

Mane looked a bit unsure on the ball throughout the match, being dispossessed five times. That being said, his high cross into Jota led to the equalizing goal, and his shot at Dubravka created the rebound for Salah to cash in on. Despite these examples of circumstantially helping, Mane has now failed to register a goal or assist in seven straight games across all competitions.

Roberto Firmino (for Salah, 74′) – 7

Great to see Bobby back on the pitch after the Brazilian missed the last eight games due to a hamstring injury. There was not too much involvement for Firmino, but he registered an assist on the bullet goal from Alexander-Arnold.

Naby Keita (for Oxlade-Chamberlain, 74′) – 8

Keita came onto the pitch with a buzz about him in the middle of the second half, finding pockets of space where Ox had struggled to. He upped the tempo right when the Reds needed it, firing off three shots including one on target.

James Milner (90′) – N/A

It’s just always nice to see Milly.