Eddie Howe’s major error was a key factor in Newcastle defeat

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Newcastle United suffered a disappointing defeat to Liverpool yesterday, despite going ahead against the visitors who were down to 10 men.

Virgil van Dijk’s first-half red card meant Newcastle had a man advantage for most of the game, and after Anthony Gordon’s excellent goal, the Magpies looked set to record an excellent victory over Liverpool.

However, Newcastle failed to break Jurgen Klopp’s side down, and two late strikes from Darwin Nunez handed the visitors an unlikely win.

Many will be scratching their heads at how Newcastle managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, given the dominance of Eddie Howe’s side. The home side registered 60% possession, whilst also firing 23 shots compared to Liverpool’s nine.

Whilst Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker pulled off some astonishing saves, Howe’s in-game management saw him make three key substitutions at the same time. Alexander Isak, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon were all withdrawn in the 72nd minute, with Callum Wilson, Sean Longstaff and Harvey Barnes replacing them.

Momentum killers

Making a triple substitution in the game state Newcastle were in at that point was surprising, and the decision backfired for Howe. Whilst Isak was not having his best game in front of goal, Newcastle had momentum on their side and were enjoying a spell of dominance whilst continually knocking on the door for a goal.

Newcastle could not find a way past Alisson in goal, but were attacking with intent, and Liverpool were swamped under their pressure.

The changes meant that Newcastle lost a lot of their momentum going forward in one swoop. Tonali and Gordon were both playing well, and both leaving the pitch at the same time interrupted Newcastle’s rhythm.

A few minutes later, Nunez entered the pitch, and Liverpool took full advantage of Newcastle’s drop-off. Whilst each substitution in isolation did not necessarily introduce a drop in quality, making all three at the same time was a huge factor in Newcastle’s failure to grab a second goal and kill the game off.

Howe has lost just five home games as Newcastle boss, but three of these came against Liverpool, and he will be incredibly frustrated that he could not take what was his best chance at ending his poor record against Klopp.