By Sulaimon Jamiu
January signing, Fabio Carvalho’s 98th-minute goal gave Liverpool a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Newcastle United in Wednesday night’s Premier League clash at Anfield.
Alexander Isak’s clinical strike seven minutes before the interval handed the visitors a lead but the Reds moved back on terms courtesy of Roberto Firmino’s hour-mark equaliser.
And the home side’s pressure to produce a winner paid off deep into stoppage time as substitute Carvalho thrashed a loose ball off the crossbar and in to snatch three points.
With the momentum of that huge victory last weekend carrying them, the Reds made a positive start to proceedings back out at Anfield, but it was the Magpies who fashioned the match’s initial opportunities.
The first falling to new arrival Isak, who hooked a 20-yarder too high at the end of a slick 11th-minute counter-attack, moments later, Ryan Fraser was teed up for a strike from a similar position when picked out from the left flank by Matt Targett’s pass, but his neat spin on the ball preceded a slice over the upright.
Liverpool began to find some joy with forays down their left-hand side as Luis Diaz and then Andy Robertson were worked into space on the byline, though on both occasions Newcastle cut out their attempt to find a teammate in the middle.
Alisson’s quick, precise throw out set Harvey Elliott on the attack and Firmino then threaded a brilliant pass into the area, where Diaz rounded Nick Pope but could only fire his effort over as the angle narrowed and he lost balance.
Having shifted the ball infield from high on the right wing, Sean Longstaff slid a pass into the box for Isak to take on and thump a finish beyond Alisson.
Liverpool set about mounting pressure on the visitors in the second half, though Newcastle had the ball in the net again nine minutes into the second half – albeit, to be disallowed.
Klopp’s men only had to wait a few more seconds to level, however, and it was Firmino who followed up his brace last weekend with the equaliser.
Elliott’s flicked ball out to the run of Salah along the right channel on the hour mark allowed the Egyptian to pick out Firmino’s arrival into the area and he unerringly swept a finish into the bottom left corner.
But, with practically the last kick of the contest more than seven minutes into added time, Milner’s corner was kept alive inside the box and Carvalho swept it high into the goal to grab victory and send Anfield wild in elation.
