Newcastle United suffered a dramatic 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at St James' Park on Monday evening. Anthony Gordon was sent off for a wild lunge, leaving his side with ten men in a fiery Premier League encounter.
Hugo Ekitike capitalised on Newcastle's numerical disadvantage just 22 seconds after the restart. The striker's goal doubled Liverpool's lead and effectively sealed the victory for the visitors.
Transfer saga overshadows match
Alexander Isak's absence dominated pre-match discussions as the striker remained on strike. Liverpool had a £110 million bid rejected, though Newcastle want around £150 million for their star forward, according to reports.
The transfer window closes on Monday September 1, adding urgency to the situation. Newcastle made a £50 million bid for Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen, which was rejected, according to Chronicle Live.
Tactical challenges for both sides
Arne Slot deployed Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back due to injuries affecting his defensive options. Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley were deemed not fit enough to start despite being available on the bench.
Slot said: "Dominik Szoboszlai is still an attacking midfielder but because of his work-rate and defending, we thought he could play there." Ryan Gravenberch returned from suspension to score the opening goal in the 35th minute.
Hostile atmosphere at St James' Park
Eddie Howe was forced to deploy Gordon as a makeshift striker in Isak's absence. The Newcastle boss said: "It's not where we want to be at this moment of time, entering the new season without a recognised centre forward in that position."
The atmosphere at St James' Park was described as incendiary, with Newcastle fans expressing anger over Isak's refusal to play. The hostile environment added extra intensity to an already charged encounter between the Premier League rivals.
Sources used: "Daily Mail", "Liverpool Echo", "Chronicle Live", "Metro" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
