Fabio Carvalho scored a dramatic – and contentious – 98th-minute winner as Liverpool came from behind to defeat Newcastle 2-1 on a pulsating night at Anfield.
Just a day after his 20th birthday, substitute Carvalho reacted quickest to score from close range in stoppage time, when five allocated minutes became nine to leave Eddie Howe raging on the touchline.
Alexander Isak’s debut goal for Newcastle had been cancelled out by Roberto Firmino’s equaliser, and it appeared Liverpool would have to settle for a result which would have left them nine points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
For so long this felt like a case of ‘After the Lord Mayor’s Show’ for Liverpool following Saturday’s 9-0 win over Bournemouth.
Jurgen Klopp opted to name an unchanged starting line-up but his side continued to look off the pace in these early weeks of the season, and fell behind when Isak confidently rifled home on his first start for Newcastle in the 38th minute, just hours after he had been granted his work permit and the green light to play on Merseyside.
Isak might have had a second in the second period but his well-taken finish was ruled out for offside, and Liverpool levelled when Firmino slotted from Mohamed Salah’s pass in the 61st minute.
Newcastle sensed they would continue their unbeaten start to the season as the clock ticked into the 98th minute of stoppage time, but Carvalho would have the final say when he swivelled inside the box to hook a right-foot shot high above Nick Pope and in off the underside of the bar.
“I was just there in the right area,” Carvalho told BT Sport afterwards. “Happily it felt for me. The fans kept us going and it’s just an amazing feeling. It’s in our DNA to keep going.”
Klopp beamed: “It was the perfect moment to win this game because it was a difficult game, very passionate, aggressive defending.
“It’s massive, massive. We will remember it for years and years. We had once a 3-2 at Newcastle where Divock Origi scored late. I’m not 100 per cent sure they all believed until the end but from now on we have to as we showed again it is possible.”
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
