Liverpool’s Defensive Midfield Problem Exposed in Newcastle Thriller

Liverpool’s Defensive Midfield Problem Exposed in Newcastle Thriller Newcastle 2 – 2 Liverpool – PL Postmortem By Steven Smith After a Frustrating Opening, Liverpool Escape With a Point Liverpool’s return to Premier League action ended with a 2–2 draw at Newcastle, but the scoreline only tells part of the story. The Reds had enough possession and created enough opportunities to win the game. Yet, defensive instability and a lack of protection in front of the back four repeatedly left them exposed to Newcastle’s counter-attacking threat. There were positives, but very very few of them. Their stagnation of last season will take months to wipe clean and the fanbase will simply have to endure. Liverpool registered 27 shots to Newcastle’s 13 and held 61 per cent possession, while their 1.98 expected goals compared favourably with Newcastle’s 1.58. Yet the visitors ultimately needed a stoppage-time penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai to rescue a point. If Newcastle had won this game, no one could have complained. That tells us everything about the afternoon. The new Liverpool era under Andoni Iraola has started with mild promise in terms of attacking ambition, but there are already obvious structural issues that need addressing, especially the midfield which housed only attacking assets within. The Starting Eleven Liverpool XI GK – Alisson Becker RB – Jeremie Frimpong CB – Jérémy Jacquet CB – Virgil van Dijk (c) LB – Milos Kerkez CM – Ryan Gravenberch CM – Dominik Szoboszlai RW – Rio Ngumoha AM – Florian Wirtz LW – Cody Gakpo CF – Alexander Isak Substitutes Used Alexis Mac Allister → Florian Wirtz (62’) Víctor Muñoz → Río Ngumoha (62’) Ronald Araújo → Jérémy Jacquet (70’) Lewis Koumas → Ryan Gravenberch (76’) Goals Newcastle 1–0 Liverpool – Anthony Elanga (William Osula) – 5’ Newcastle 1–1 Liverpool – Cody Gakpo (Ryan Gravenberch) – 55’ Newcastle 2–1 Liverpool – Joe Willock (Yoane Wissa) – 57’ Newcastle 2–2 Liverpool – Dominik Szoboszlai (Penalty) – 90+8’ Match Statistics Possession – Newcastle 39% | Liverpool 61% xG – Newcastle 1.58 | Liverpool 1.98 Total Shots – Newcastle 13 | Liverpool 27 Shots on Target – Newcastle 4 | Liverpool 7 Fouls – Newcastle 16 | Liverpool 15 Corners – Newcastle 2 | Liverpool 6 First Half The opening half was frustrating for Liverpool. The Reds controlled possession for long periods and attempted to establish the tempo, but Newcastle were far more dangerous when the game became transitional. The opening goal after just five minutes highlighted the biggest concern, as Ryaj Gravenberch sauntered into the opposition penalty box instead of shielding his own. Liverpool’s structure left too much space when possession was lost, and Newcastle were able to exploit it immediately. Florian Wirtz showed occasional flashes of his creative ability, while Isak found himself confronted by a Newcastle defence determined to deny him opportunities against his former club. Rio Ngumoha had moments of promise on the right, but the teenager struggled to consistently influence proceedings and cannot be seen as a viable right wing option. Liverpool continued to create opportunities, eventually finishing the game with 27 attempts, but the first half ended with the visitors trailing. The concern was not a lack of attacking intent. It was the ease with which Newcastle could transition against them that punished the Reds time and time again last term. Second Half The second half became considerably more dramatic. Liverpool finally levelled through Gakpo in the 55th minute, with Gravenberch setting up the Dutchman before he produced an excellent finish from distance. Yet Newcastle immediately exposed Liverpool again. Two minutes later, Willock restored the home side’s advantage. That sequence summed up Liverpool’s afternoon as the hosts’ runners were allowed to travel and travel as if the opposition midfield were non-existent. They could produce excellent attacking moments, but their defensive structure remained vulnerable. Iraola responded by making changes. Mac Allister replaced Wirtz, while Muñoz came on for Rio in the 62nd minute. Araújo then replaced Jacquet in the 70th minute before Koumas came on for Gravenberch in the closing stages. Muñoz was particularly important and showed a willingness to engage from the moment he entered the game. The young Spaniard brought direct running and aggression to the attack and repeatedly looked to drive at Newcastle’s defence. His biggest contribution arrived deep into stoppage time when his run into the penalty area resulted in the decisive penalty. Szoboszlai converted in the 90+8th minute. Liverpool had rescued a point. Final Thoughts This was a performance that demonstrated both the potential and the problems within Iraola’s new Liverpool. The attacking intent was encouraging, but the middle area and fullback positions were horrific at times. Twenty-seven shots and 61 per cent possession demonstrate that Liverpool were willing to dominate the ball and create opportunities. But the defensive structure remains concerning, with no protection on the flanks ot in-front ofbthe central defence. The lack of a specialist defensive midfielder was particularly obvious, while using two naturally attacking full-backs left Liverpool vulnerable whenever Newcastle broke forward. The next stage of the rebuild must therefore focus on balance. Liverpool need a genuine No.6. They need greater defensive security at right-back. They need more options across the forward line. And they need time for Iraola to establish his preferred structure. A point at Newcastle is not disastrous. But if Liverpool want to return to the top of English football, performances like this must become the starting point for improvement rather than evidence of the same old problems continuing. Steven Smith’s Pre-Match Prediction: Newcastle 1 – 3 Liverpool