Newcastle United paid the value for Alexander Isak’s absence as they didn’t profit from a formidable first-half exhibiting in opposition to Liverpool, falling behind to a Ryan Gravenberch purpose earlier than Anthony Gordon’s purple card deepened their worries up entrance.
The Magpies’ conflict with Liverpool, whom they beat within the EFL Cup last final season, kicked off in opposition to the backdrop of the Isak saga, with Newcastle’s talisman refusing to coach or play in a bid to drive by way of a transfer to the Premier League champions.
That made for a raucous environment at St James’ Park, the place Newcastle have been in management for lengthy durations, Gordon losing their finest likelihood within the twenty eighth minute when he headed over from Harvey Barnes’ left-wing cross.
Gravenberch punished that profligacy seven minutes later, Liverpool’s returning midfielder silencing the house crowd by firing in off the left-hand publish from the sting of the realm.
But the house followers have been dropped at life once more simply earlier than half-time, albeit in fury as false 9 Gordon was proven purple by Simon Hooper for a rash problem on Virgil Van Dijk.
Hooper had initially proven Gordon a yellow card. Nevertheless, after a pitchside evaluation, he dominated that Gordon’s contact with Van Dijk’s Achilles represented severe foul play, and he upgraded the sanction to a straight purple, leaving Newcastle with a mountain to climb to get something from the sport and with a major concern within the central placing position that was already an enormous drawback due to Isak’s self-enforced absence.
