When Newcastle United met Liverpool at Anfield back in August, it was a feisty affair.
The Premier League season was still in its infancy. Eddie Howe’s side were unbeaten but looking far from Champions League contenders, while the Reds were yet to prove their credentials in the Premier League title race.
It culminated in a pulsating match that saw the Magpies go toe-to-toe with Liverpool, but it ended in disappointment.
After five minutes of additional time was indicated, Liverpool actually snatched a winner in the 98th minute through Fabio Carvalho. It was a sickening blow for Newcastle, while the Reds thought it was justice for the timewasting they had endured.
There were wild celebrations on the touchline after Carvalho’s goal, and it sparked a clash between the two benches. Tempers flared, as Liverpool would run out 2-1 winners. It remains the only Premier League game that Newcastle have lost this season.
There was a lot of aggro on the pitch and on the bench, and a new report from the Telegraph claims that it continued after the game.
Newcastle and Liverpool players were ‘pulled apart’ in the tunnel
According to the Telegraph, there was a further altercation between Newcastle and Liverpool after the players and staff headed down the tunnel.
They state that players and staff from opposing sides had to be pulled apart after coming together. The Telegraph wrote that there were ‘physical confrontations and some ugly scenes’.
Since then there have been comments made by Jurgen Klopp that didn’t go down well with Newcastle, while the timewasting narrative that was created has dragged on and on.
All Newcastle did that night was what every Premier League club does. It’s gamesmanship. Unlike in the past, Newcastle did not roll over and take the beating. They stood up to Liverpool and matched them. As Howe says, we aren’t here to be liked, we’re here to compete.
Now the two sides are set to compete again, and it is going to be an electric atmosphere inside St James’ Park on Saturday night. So much has changed since that game in August. Newcastle are flying high, while Liverpool are looking to fight back in the race for the top four.
There will be no love lost between the two sides, and it will be interesting to see what happens on the touchline when a major incident occurs.
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